Drama in Schools: An Unfolding Tragedy?

Drama has exited stage left from many school timetables in recent years. The number of pupils in England sitting Drama GCSE and A-Level has halved since 2010. So why does it matter and should we care? The actor Christopher Eccleston investigates the demise of drama and asks whether it can be rekindled in the wake of a government curriculum review that insisted it should be given equal status to humanities and language. Christopher shares his own personal experience of drama lessons at school which he says transformed his life. He drops in on drama classes at Towers School in Ashford in Kent to hear the experiences of pupils and speaks to theatre practitioners from the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and National Youth Theatre. He also speaks to STEM UK about the importance of striking a balance between learning about STEM subjects and the arts.

Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Robin Markwell
This programme features a short clip of Antigone performed at the National Theatre by Christopher Eccleston and Jodie Whittaker in 2012