Big Brum Projects and Teaching
resources
Big Brum creates and delivers a multitude of participatory projects to help teachers and young people utilise drama as a powerful force for learning and progression. Supporting new and experienced teachers, including teachers of drama, is vital throughout an educational era that has seen the arts in schools steadily diminish.
Our projects are many and varied, working with children, young people and their teachers to help support schools in creating a more creative curriculum, and to inspire young learners to fulfil their creative potential. We work locally, regionally nationally and internationally in partnerships with learning organisations and other theatre/drama companies dedicated to creating outstanding work for young people.
If you’re as passionate as us about the importance of Theatre in Education, you can take a look at the conversation at the Drama Education Hub, an online space for those committed to exploring the profound potential of drama in education.
In 2024, we completed a three-year partnership project with a group of primary schools in the West Midlands. ‘Creating “Schools of Recovery”’ was supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. A series of resources, films and reports are now available.
The present focus for much of our work is North Solihull, where we are using live theatre to help change lives and build connections in this area of socio-economic deprivation.
Other research and in-depth evaluation includes:
DICE - an international project that investigated the effects of educational theatre and drama, including Big Brum’s work.
The ‘To Be’ project - an international project exploring how Theatre in Education can be used in collaboration with teachers to support the wellbeing of children, especially those at risk of exclusion.
Engaging, Exploring, Expressing - exploring and making the case for Theatre In Education.
A report for PDnet on the needs and wants of young people with physical disabilities.
Big Brum is proud to be able to produce work as an exemplar of Theatre in Education and its potential as a powerful tool for learning.
See a project below to view teaching resources.
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The ‘To Be’ project explores how Drama in Education and Theatre in Education can be used in collaboration with teachers to support the wellbeing of children and especially those at risk of exclusion. View Project ⟶
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This three-year evaluation and research project saw external independent evaluation of Big Brum’s impact and efficacy through Theatre in Education programmes.
View Project ⟶ -
Big Brum were commissioned to put on consultative ‘Needs and Wants of Learners with Phsyical Disabilities’ sessions at the Lancasterian School in Manchester and Treloars School in Hampshire for disabled children and young people.
View Project ⟶ -
Big Brum has several university partners that book our work as an exemplar of Theatre in Education including the University of Coventry, Warwick, Winchester, Wolverhampton and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
View Project ⟶ -
‘Socially Distant’ is part two of three of our new ‘Monuments Trilogy’. The concept links two new plays to Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Through each play in the trilogy, we’re exploring the themes found in Shakespeare’s classic text: repression, disconnection, isolation and civil dissonance.
View Project ⟶ -
‘Giant’s Embrace’ was originally devised by Big Brum as a fairy-tale based story for early years at primary schools, asking children for help to finish a story that explores the relationship between a young boy and a greedy giant.
View Project ⟶ -
‘The End of Reason 1914-1918’ is a cycle of five plays, marking the centenary of the First World War and touring from 2014-2018.
View Project ⟶
