Ferens, Sandra Marie2024-08-132024-08-1319851985https://hdl.handle.net/1828/17754This thesis defines and defends the aesthetic and educational position of a new theatre genre, Theatre in Education (TIE) begun at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, England, in 1965. It was created through a liaison between the professional Belgrade Theatre and the Coventry Local School Authority and its purpose was to increase the involvement of the theatre and the community in serving educational objectives. This idea spread across the United Kingdom. Three specific examples of Theatre in Education (TIE) programs involving the Belgrade Theatre of Coventry, the Cockpit Theatre of London and the Octagon Theatre of Bolton are described and a definition for the purpose of this thesis is derived as follows: "Theatre in Education is a form of theatre intended for audiences attending an institution of formal education. A TIE program is researched and created by its performers around a topic or theme of relevance to its intended recipients by either constituting part of their formal school curriculum or being of more general relevance to their life experience. A TIE program includes elements of orthodox theatre as well as sections of direct audience involvement which may include the physical and verbal participation in the dramatic conflict." A discussion supporting the contention that Theatre in Education, should be considered a new theatre genre is conducted. Supported by the theories of education philosophers and theatre authorities Jerome S. Bruner, Susanne Langer, Bertolt Brecht and Peter Brook, a valuable argument is presented. It, illustrates that the principles of progressive education which center on the active participation of the learner in the act of learning are transposed in TIE into a theatre event which centers upon the activity of the audience in the act of theatre. Thus, through a combination of orthodox theatre form, discussion, physical audience involvement in dramatic conflict, and carefully structured preliminary and follow-up activities, a viable new theatre genre has evolved in which education provides the context and theatre provides the means.85 pagesAvailable to the World Wide WebThesis