Graeae's Jenny Sealey: Bring back subsidy for theatre in education

Graeae artistic director Jenny Sealey has called on the government to bring back funding for theatre in education.

Sealey argued that theatre in education inspires young people from different backgrounds to get into theatre.

The comments were made during a panel discussion that was part of a festival called Taking the Stage – Women in the Performing Arts at MK Gallery in Milton Keynes on September 13.

“As trips to normal theatres become financially inaccessible for schools we need to go back and take [theatre] into schools, because theatre empowers young people and shows those kids that don’t feel like they’re academic that they can buy into something,” Sealey said.

She explained that theatre in education used to be free for schools, as it was subsidised with government funding, but “as soon as the schools had to pay for it, they didn’t have the money”.

Sealey added: “[Bringing theatre into schools] enables those children to think: ‘I could be an actor’, because so many kids don’t know that this is a possibility. We need to bring back theatre in education.

“It’s about giving the next generation the inspiration that they can go into the theatre world.”

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