Unicorntheatrecom. 2019. Unicorntheatrecom. [Online]. [8 January 2019]. Available from: https://www.unicorntheatre.com/

Theatre-centrecouk. 2019. Theatre-centrecouk. [Online]. [8 January 2019]. Available from: http://www.theatre-centre.co.uk/

Heaversfarmcom. 2014. Heavers Farm Primary School. [Online]. [8 January 2019]. Available from: https://heaversfarm.com/about-us-2/school-vision/

Huntingtontheatreorg. 2019. Huntingtontheatreorg. [Online]. [8 January 2019]. Available from: https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/about/mission/

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     Polka is one of the few theatres in the UK dedicated exclusively to children. Based in Wimbledon since 1979, Polka creates world-class theatre to entertain and inspire young audiences.

     Over 90,000 children visit Polka every year to experience engaging, fun and exciting theatre, often for the first time.

     “We strive to spark the imagination, stir the emotions and fuel a sense of discovery in all children.”

     The theatre is home to a friendly café, playground, garden and a fun-filled foyer with toys, books, dressing up and colouring in. 

     “It’s a unique, magical place where you can share a special moment with your child.”

     Creative programming keeps Polka’s work fresh and relevant. Over two spaces, the Adventure Theatre and Main Stage, young audiences can expect new plays, dynamic performers, resonant subjects and inventive adaptations of popular stories.

     Learning and participation is at the heart of Polka’s work, encouraging children to explore and develop creatively. 

     We offer opportunities for all children, regardless of age, ability, culture or background, to engage in the arts through a regular programme of holiday workshops, term-time groups, after-show events, free storytelling and workshops that take Polka into the community. Schools visiting the theatre can benefit from online free resource packs and show-related workshops.

     They recently launched something called the PolkaLAB; to provide a supportive in-house framework for the professional development of companies or artists wanting to create innovative and ground-breaking children’s theatre.

     PolkaLAB will support up to three companies or artists per year to research new productions for children and will address significant gaps within the Theatre for Young Audiences sector. These are: work led by DISABLED ARTISTS, work led by BAME ARTISTS, work created specifically for an EARLY YEARS AUDIENCE (Under 6’s)

     Polka Theatre started life as a touring company in 1967 under the Artistic Directorship of Richard Gill. Gill was spurred on by a commitment to fine design and craftsmanship and a passion for puppetry, taking the company’s work to many of Britain’s major theatres. 

     By 1971, following a successful Arts Council application (the first annual grant to any company working in the field of puppetry), Polka was attracting staggering audiences of 250,000 each year.

Unicorn Theatre 

     The Unicorn is the UK’s leading theatre for young audiences, producing an eclectic and surprising programme of work year-round for children aged 6 months to 18 years.

     They aim to connect artists and audiences through a broad range of work that is honest, refreshing and international in outlook, across a range of disciplines.

     They present and tour around twenty shows each year, at home and abroad, to around 90,000 children and their parents and carers, and work extensively with schools and in the community to invite children from all cultures into a conversation about art and the world we live in.

     They work hard to ensure that our doors are open to everyone, and that our building represents the diverse and tolerant city we want to live in.

     Connecting artists with communities throughout the year, we actively seek out partners in the community, marginalised groups, groups with additional needs, people who couldn’t otherwise afford to attend our shows, or those who are yet to discover that theatre welcomes them.

     They do this by working closely with gatekeeper organisations, agencies and local authority departments to name but a few. We also commit thousands of free theatre tickets each year to new visitors and to support our community programmes.

     They offer workshops and tailored productions for children of primary school age all the way up to secondary. As well as holding events specifically for teachers. 

     They also have a youth led theatre group that put of productions regularly. 

     They currently have many shows on including Philip Pullmans Grimm Tales 

Theatre Centre 

     Theatre Centre empowers young leadership and youth activism through the arts, supporting and transforming children and young people to change the world by enriching their learning and leadership potential with theatre productions, creative projects and resources.

     Brian Way founded Theatre Centre in 1953. He wanted to make theatre for young audiences as high-quality and enriching as theatre for adults.

     They pride ourselves on the diversity of our writers, performers and freelance creatives; we have an integrated casting policy, and they commission writers whose work is relevant and resonant with our audiences.  

     They remain a touring company because they believe all young people deserve the advantages theatre brings, and they know many grow up in areas without access to theatre.

     They are an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

     They currently have the show The Muddy Choir on. 

 The target audience is 6-8 year olds.

   One of the values of Heavers farm school is to create an engaging, productive and safe environment that challenges stereotypes and promotes independent learners through a wide range of opportunities and an innovative learning environment.

   I believe performing in front of the children does create an environment for them to learn a lesson in an entertaining way.

   I believe the expectation of a children audiences is that the play is funny but also offers a moral. I also believe that the play should end on a good note. So it leaves the children happy and not questioning what is going to happen next to the character or in the story.

I aim to entertain the audience and produce of piece of theatre that is engaging, enthralling and interactive. I aim to promote the themes of unity, love and inclusion in my performance. I aim to produce a piece of theatre that makes the audience evaluate how we treat other people. 

The following research was conpleted by Shanelle Charles-Dorsett

A mission statement- in theatre- known as an artistic statement is a document that states what your visons and aims are as a company.

Here is an example of a professional mission statement from Huntington Theatre Company:

‘The Huntington Theatre Company engages, inspires, entertains and challenges audiences with theatrical productions that range from the classics to new works; we train and support the next generation of theatre artists; we provide arts education programs that promote life-long learning to a diverse community; and we celebrate the essential power of the theatre to illuminate our common humanity’.

Our Mission Statement:

The CC Drama Students’ main aim is to entertain and educate our audience by performing an engaging story with a moral. We believe that family and unity are very important and therefore we intend to communicate that through our plot.

Our second goal is to show that diversity is a good thing; hence why our cast consists of such a wide range of races and characters.