Keeping the stage alive: The impact of teachers on young people’s engagement with theatre

ABSTRACT

School-age students rarely attend live theatre events unless they have been organized as part of a curricular, or co-curricular, excursion facilitated by teachers. This article reports on the findings of the TheatreSpace project, a three-year study of young people’s attendance at theatre performances, and concentrates on a discussion of the impact of teachers on theatregoing. The authors propose that a teachers’ influence is threefold: as model, as mentor, and as guide. The article also discusses the impact of the dedicated study of theatre within the curriculum on the experience of a live theatre event.