Theatre in education

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Theatre-in-Education (or TIE or Diadactic theatre) is a medium of theatre for exploring various issues with young people. Developed in Coventry (UK) during the 1960s, it evolved as a specific form during the 70s and 80s, since when it has tended to be used more loosely to describe any work by professional theatre workers in an educational setting.

The original form of TIE consisted of both performance and interactive elements, often with the young people themselves in role. Techniques employed would include role-play, simulation games, workshops, hot-seating and forum theatre. The performers were known as actor-teachers, which reflected their hybrid task. TIE companies often devised collaboratively, and the pieces were called 'programmes', rather than plays - again a reflection of their interactive nature. The programmes were issue-based, often exploring major social or political issues, such as racism, gender, slavery, war or fascism. They were intended to involve the young people actively, and to challenge them through involvement. This work was evolved largely in the UK, but taken up elsewhere.

Minor companies in the development of TIE included the Coventry Belgrade[1] (where the movement continued) Cockpit in London[2], Greenwich Young Peoples Theatre[3],The Flying Phoenix Company based at the Phoenix Theatre in Leicester, Pit Prop in Wigan, the Creative Arts Team (CAT) in New York City and M6 in Rochdale[4].

In recent years, with the changing nature of education in Britain, the use of the term TIE has encompassed work which is more limited in its scope, including issues such as smoking, bullying, road safety, and more directly curriculum-related projects with narrower aims than the 'traditional' TIE work. There are still companies continuing the work of the original TIE pioneers as well, (such as Greenwich YPT[5] and Big Brum TIE Company[6] in Birmingham) and there are many individuals from the field of work who have spread and influenced other areas of theatre and beyond. For example, the field of Applied Theatre (embracing all forms of drama activity that serve some kind of educative or social purpose) draws on many TIE techniques and methods. For example C&T [7] mix drama, learning and digital media, whilst Geese Theatre [8] work with offenders. Terminology in this area is in flux and DIE (Drama in Education) is preferred.