Theatre Emergency: Bristol Old Vic Takes Stage to Schools

Bristol Old Vic is taking drastic measures to address the 'emergency' of declining arts access by bringing theatre performances directly into secondary schools at no cost. The initiative has received a huge response from schools across the city and surrounding areas.

The programme aims to make theatre accessible to all students, regardless of their background or financial situation. According to Bristol Old Vic's engagement director, Lucy Hunt, the venue tends to attract 'drama kids or middle-class kids', and fewer kids are coming to see the theatre.

The Bristol Old Vic initiative is taking the stage directly to pupils in schools serving multicultural communities, such as St Pauls, Easton, and Lawrence Hill in east Bristol. One of the plays being performed is 'A Brit?ish Museum', written for schools by Muneera Pilgrim, which tackles timely topics, including the honours system and colonial history.

Bristol Old Vic's young MIB260 company is performing the plays in schools. The performance of 'A Brit?ish Museum' is a sharp, energetic production that jumps from a year 9 classroom debate over the honours system to a museum field trip where Who Do You Think You Are by the Spice Girls plays alongside exhibits examining colonial history.

## Why it matters The initiative is a response to severe budget constraints faced by schools nationwide, making theatre trips and creative subjects difficult to sustain. National leaders have described the situation as an 'emergency' for arts access. By bringing theatre performances directly into secondary schools, Bristol Old Vic is helping to make arts accessible to all students, regardless of their background or financial situation.

The huge response to the initiative from schools across the city and surrounding areas is a testament to the demand for arts access. As schools struggle to provide creative outlets for their students, initiatives like Bristol Old Vic's are crucial in ensuring that arts remain a part of the curriculum.

## What happens next Bristol Old Vic will continue to tour two new plays into secondary schools across the city and surrounding areas at zero cost to the schools. The initiative is a step in the right direction towards addressing the 'emergency' of declining arts access, and it will be interesting to see how it impacts the students and schools involved.