Secondary Drama & Theatre

Empowers and transforms through artistic, collaborative, dynamic, creative discoveries

At the IST, we believe in the value of the arts and understand the need to educate the 'whole person' and to help everybody reach their full potential to flourish. With its rich history as an art form, theatre provides opportunities to see fresh perspectives, become more internationally minded, embrace challenges and take risks. We understand that learning is a process and that everybody deserves the chance to experiment and try out ideas in a safe and supportive environment. Successes and failures are embraced as important features of this creative process and students are encouraged to reflect carefully on their processes and achievements.

At IB diploma level, students are offered Theatre at both higher and standard levels and they enjoy working across a range of roles (including performer, designer, director, creator) to stage scripted work and create original pieces. As part of an international qualification, we enjoy plenty of opportunities to explore world theatre traditions.

Over Grades 9 & 10, we offer the Cambridge IGCSE Drama course and this requires students to perform to live audiences to complete the significant coursework component. They are often prompted to also work through the lens of the designer and the director.

In Grades 6-8 all students have a weekly drama lesson as part of their school timetable. They will study a wide range of units to help them build important skills and experience. All the work at this level is designed to support those students who choose to continue to study the subject at examination level later.

The department regularly collaborates with other departments (in particular Music and Art), schools and artistic organisations to offer plenty of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. We are proud to be a member of the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) and we normally take two trips each year, one for Grades 6-8 and a second for Grades 9-11, to various countries to participate in international theatre festivals. Have a look at ISTDrama's YouTube channel for clips of these some of these festivals including one we hosted in Toulouse in 2017. Each year we organise and host a range of events including the Eurocampus Creative Arts Day with Trestle Theatre (UK), the Improvisation Festival (with La Bulle Carrée - part of Toulouse's annual Improv Festival) and the visit of Melbourne's Backyard Theatre's performance and workshops.

Curated by: Curriculum Leader for Theatre

See the UK's National Theatre's useful clip, Every Child Should Have The Opportunity To Do Drama

We are pleased to have a school subscription to Digital Theatre + which offers access to many plays, interviews with professional theatre makers/academics, etc. Just click on the image below to access with your school's '.net' email address. Great for any research task in theatre!