Let's Play Programme for the National Theatre

FROM THE NATIONAL THEATRE:-
Overview of Let’s Play
 
The programme seeks to:
 

• Find new ways to embed drama and creativity into every day teaching and learning.
• Provide teachers with professional development opportunities that equip them with new skills and harness their innate creativity – building their confidence and reigniting the joy in their profession.
• Demonstrate to schools how drama can support children’s personal, social and cultural and academic development.

The programme uses the primary school main stay of the school play to achieve its aims.
 
It also supports the ambition of Artsmark and Arts Award to bring the arts and cultural learning to the forefront of children and young people’s lives.
 
The programme includes:
 

• Specialist theatre making courses for both KS1 and KS2 teachers, led by professional theatre artists.
  
• Access to specially-commissioned scripts (and performance licences).
• Musical scores and backing tracks for original songs.
• Access to curriculum-linked teaching sequences.
• Handbooks, a series of short films and guidance for teachers on how to direct and stage their plays.
• The opportunity for children to gain an Arts Award.

Let’s Play costs £350 per school, per academic year and bursaries are available to support schools to cover the cost of teachers attending CPDL.
 
We will work with a minimum of 700 schools over the next 3 years.
 
The genesis of Let’s Play
 

• Let’s Play has developed from a seed planted by Katie Mitchell some years ago, who attended her daughter’s school play and was not overly impressed.  She felt there must be a way for the NT to help schools make better theatre, and so the R&D began.
• The NT commissioned a new play by Ollie Birch called Operation Christmas, and Katie directed it in her daughter’s school with support from  Lindsay Turner and Vicky Mortimer.
• The NT then commissioned Revealing Reality (then ESRO) to conduct national research with 137 to help shape the programme.  10 of those schools took part in some in-depth ethnographic research, or a series of ‘David Attenborough days’.  We are continuing to work with Revealing Reality.
• In response to the research findings, the NT further developed the programme over a 4 year period, commissioning two new plays and developing teacher resources.

 
Where we are now
 

• Let’s Play will be launched by Sir Lenny Henry next week.
• With have 30 schools signed up so far.
• We are working with Arts Award and Artsmark specialists to map Let’s Play against both programmes.
• We have 9 of 10 new plays commissioned (6 for KS2 and 4 for KS1).
• We are finalising teacher resources, digital guidelines, directors notes and CPD training.
• We are building relationships with LCEPS, EEF research schools and other networks across the country to ensure that Let’s Play is working in the best and most impactful way, working in support of existing regional work.

 
Lorna McGinty
Let’s Play Project Manager
National Theatre Learning
T: 020 7452 3370
lmcginty@nationaltheatre.org.uk
nationaltheatre.org.uk/learning