Most large theatres have education departments to help make the theatre’s work more accessible to the community and to liaise with educational institutions to see how the theatre’s productions can be integrated into the curriculum. Steve Ball,
the education director at the Birmingham Rep Theatre, says that though the productions on the main stage are the priority at the theatre, the management and staff are committed to
integrating education over the whole organization. There are many professional development
events organized for teachers at the Birmingham Rep, focusing on productions at the theatre and how to introduce them in the classroom. Other programmes try to provide a
broader appeal to different groups in the community, such as a South Asian Youth Theatre which has recently started up so that young South Asians can use drama and theatre to explore their cultural identity.
Many of these projects require funding, which Steve says can be a challenge and requires creative thinking. Currently the theatre is organizing a multi-sensory art experience for young babies and their parents, and after some research, they managed to find three funding bodies to support the project.