This June, the Belgrade Theatre Coventry will mark the 60th anniversary of the Theatre in Education (TiE) movement - a pioneering initiative that began at the Belgrade in 1965 and has since influenced educational theatre across the globe. 

As part of the celebrations of this milestone, Big School - the Belgrade’s current TiE programme - will be performed Friday 20 June at John Gulson Primary School, the same school where TiE was first delivered six decades ago.  

In a moving tribute to the enduring legacy of the project, three original members of the 1965 Theatre in Education company, Gordon Vallins, Jessica Gollop and Ann Garrett, now in their 80s, will return to observe the performance.  

The Belgrade was the first UK theatre to establish a dedicated TiE company, embedding professional actor-teachers into Coventry’s schools to use drama as a dynamic tool for learning. The original programme, which toured schools with interactive plays and workshops exploring moral, social and political themes, set the standard for a national and international movement in arts education. The original Theatre in Education company was founded in 1965 by Gordon Vallins and Anthony Richardson and visited over 20 Coventry schools in its first term. 

Today, TiE remains at the heart of the Belgrade’s ethos. Big School, which supports Year 6 pupils in their transition to secondary education, continues to uphold the principles of imaginative engagement, co-creation, and giving young people agency in their own learning. Big School was developed by the Belgrade’s Community & Education Company and has been running since 1999. 

Claire Procter, the Belgrade’s Education & Young People's Producer, said, “The Belgrade’s legacy in founding the TiE movement is a source of immense pride - not only for us as a theatre, but for the city of Coventry. It’s fitting that 60 years on, Big School brings those original ideals full circle, back to the school where it all began. This remarkable reunion of Gordon Vallins' groundbreaking company offers a powerful connection between the past and present of arts-led education, and we’re immensely honoured by their presence.” 

Gordon Vallins, founding member of the Belgrade’s original TIE company, said, “60 years ago John Gulson Primary School was our first call with an interactive story created by the team, Ann Garrett, Jessica Hill, Dickon Reed, and myself. It was the very first TIE project. It felt exciting. Generally pleased with the overall results yet recognising the need for continual adjustments. We had to remain flexible to gain mutual understanding of the material, of each other, and the children and their teachers. We found the work challenging and rewarding. We were on the edge of confirming how theatre can be a major, cooperative and creative process towards learning. Gulson helped to give us confidence and consequently, the following fruitful years of TIE.” 

Mrs Vicky Green, Deputy Head of Teaching & Learning, at John Gulson Primary School and Nursery said, “It’s an incredible honour for John Gulson to welcome back members of the original Theatre in Education company 60 years after they first brought this pioneering work to our school. We’re so proud to be part of this remarkable legacy - one that continues to value children's voices, creativity and emotional development. The Big School programme speaks directly to the challenges our Year 6 pupils face as they prepare for secondary school, and to see them engage so openly and thoughtfully is truly inspiring.”