
Knowing Yourself
Theatre in Education (TiE)

Chris Cooper is teaching at TiE
The combination of Drama in Education and Theatre in Education motivated the Centre to try to make Educational Theatre Projects shortly after its establishment. In addition to sharing many methodologies and participation modes with drama in education, the theater in education also has unique theater elements: complete costumes, props, and sceneries, making theater's symbols and remarks to be better integrated into the drama elements. Interacting with children in only one class at a time also ensures a high level of participation, guaranteeing everyone ample space for expression. This is a unique art form that does not exist in any general youth theater or a children's theater.
Theater in Education sets theaters as tools and spaces for learning. The significance of this educational model is not to convey information or knowledge. Learning is not instrumental, but conceptual. Drama and theater are used to resonate with participants, to achieve a new understanding of the world and society we live in, to explore human situations and behaviors, and to provide integrated guidance for young people's thinking, and to provide them with the possibility of self-exploration.

We have produced two types of educational theater projects.
One is to collectively create the plays from selected materials by the actor teachers. The troupe will just finalize the stage scripts according to the explored materials. As a result, there is no strict line and position in the performance, and it remains quite flexible in the performance.
Another type of project is written by playwright Chris Cooper and directed by Xi Cao. This type of work has a more accurate theater grammar, frame and symbols due to the text as the basis. The instructors and directors spend several weeks rehearsing the repertoire. During the rehearsal process, the core of the drama and the children's learning area are determined. Then, roles and tasks of the play are selected for children to help them participate in drama better.