Big Brum Theatre in Education Company
Statements of Support Regarding NPO Decision
As of Thursday 31st July 2014
As well as over 10,000 sympathetic messages, likes, tweets etc on Big Brum’s social media
outlets (https://twitter.com/big_brum and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-BrumTheatre-in-Education-Company/327795253923734) the Company has already received
numerous letters of support from artists, educators, and academics all around the world,
and mention in articles including:
http://video.news.sky.com/video/h264/vod/700/2014/07/010714ARTSFUNDINGCOTTERVT
17001404236934667700.mp4
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/12/theatre-grants-audiences-childrendavid-edgar
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2014/07/edward-bond-hits-arts-council-cuts/
We present a selection of the key messages below, addressed individually to Big Brum staff
Chris Cooper, Dan Brown and Ceri Townsend.
Letters of Support from the UK
From Edward Bond, Playwright
Chris
Im writing this on learning that the NPO have removed their funding support to BB. Of
course this has a particular significance for me. BB is my last contact with English
professional theatre, If BB were to close I would truly be in exile. But more important to
me is the loss of BB to young people. Seeing a professional performance when I was 13 or
14 changed the direction of my life. It made me understand the processes of my life. I was
no longer – as most people now are in our culture – a foreigner to myself. I had seen a play
by Shakespeare. I am not comparing my work to his – but I am likening BB’s work to the
work of his Globe. I met myself and my times at his Globe. I was living in war time and in
the post war of ruins and austerity. Shakespeare wrote in a time of equal distress but also of
victory – and I lived in such a time. The fit was perfect. The capitalist market in all it does
and in all its forms, destroys culture. In time we will see that it is at war with young people.
Inevitably youngster shut their eyes in shock – what else can they do? – just as I did at the
shock of war – but BB’s work lets them open their minds in understanding and gives them
the power to make victories. I am not exaggerating – this is the power of drama and it has
accompanied human beings throughout their history. These cuts are a wound to all young
people – and they are an immeasurable debt that society will have to pay.
Let me know what happens next. We will talk when you are back home. In the mean
time I send my best wishes to everyone at BB. --- Edward
From Jack Dromey MP, Shadow Minister for Policing
To whom it may concern,
A statement by Jack Dromey, MP for Erdington regarding the recent decision made by Arts
Council England on funding for West Midlands arts organisations for the period 2015 to
2018, specifically the withdrawal of support from Big Brum Theatre in Education.
Big Brum have been based in my Erdington constituency since the early 90s, most recently
on the Castle Vale estate.
I know many are aware of Big Brum's work, but to summarise:
 Big Brum have been working for over 30 years with Birmingham’s young people and
reach thousands of them every year: Big Brum specialises in reaching those young
people who would otherwise have no access to art, and their work is widely hailed
as having a profound and transformative impact on young people’s lives.
 They are the only British theatre company to have a commissioning relationship with
Edward Bond. It is remarkable that the works of one of the few living British
playwrights with a truly global status often premiere in Erdington schools!
 More widely, they are internationally renowned for their work, yet they remain
completely committed to providing provision to support our local community.
Big Brum has made me aware that the company did not fail to reach any of the Arts
Council's criteria for funding, but were instead rejected due to the Arts Council "balancing
the portfolio". I would question the reasoning behind balancing arts funding in a manner that
has left the city with Europe's youngest population without any Arts Council funded
organisations working solely for young people.
I urge that this decision is looked at again is given some thought, and that the Arts Council
are able to continue to offer Big Brum support to ensure this vital provision is not lost.
From Laura Walker, Teacher
Dear Dan and all at Big Brum,
We were incredibly shocked to hear the recent devastating news regarding your Arts
Council funding cut. It’s astonishing that this decision was even considered, let alone
actioned. Big Brum successfully enrich young people’s lives through the powerful work they
undertake; opening minds and encouraging debate. Our learners have been given many
opportunities to develop their opinions about subjects that actually matter, reflecting on
high quality theatre and being actively challenged to develop their thought processes on
themes and issues that directly apply to them in our contemporary society.
At Wood Green Academy we have been involved in two of Big Brum’s projects, initially
‘The Edge’ and more recently ‘Touched’. Due to the success of the former, the latter
became integral to whole school teaching and learning. The far-reaching impact of this
programme integrated both the Drama and English departments and was also an essential
aspect of our Year 9 PSHE curriculum. We are proud to share our perspectives on Big
Brum’s work:
“Big Brum have been an excellent company to work with. They have provided superb
performance work over the last two years and their plays have inspired the most disengaged
of students. As well as performances they provided workshops for our students which
improved their marks in coursework assessments and gave them the focus to carry them
through to greater success in their external exam. Big Brum don't only impact on students
socially and emotionally but they have an impact on their academic achievement as well. I
cannot express strongly enough how shocked I am to hear their Arts Council funding has
been completely withdrawn. They are a valuable asset to the West Midlands and should be
enabled to continue to support our young people in achieving their potential.”
Mrs Olivia Smith - Head of Drama and Performing Arts
“Working with Big Brum has provided valuable cross-curricular enrichment opportunities to
enhance students’ learning journey. Through engaging in workshops, students were able to
explore wider social issues and draw upon this in the English classroom. Focused workshops
with Big Brum colleagues supported students in their academic studies, whilst sustaining a
holistic understanding of their area of study. Such experiences have a strong impact on the
achievement of young people and their social and academic growth.”
Miss Sarah Cannell - Associate Head of English
“Big Brum were excellent. My form were engaged by the play – one pupil, who had been
absent, even asking for a copy of the play after other pupils told them about it. The delivery
of the play was not only very thought provoking but for the majority of pupils in my form
this was their first experience of a live ‘theatre’ performance. However the key strength of
Big Brum wasn’t simply the performance but the workshops that they delivered during form
time and then on a second SHAPE day. These follow up activities were challenging and
engaging. Pupils in my form who are very disaffected from the education process came alive
and volunteered ideas and engaged in the process. All the pupils in my form who I spoke to
about Big Brum were very positive and continue to feel able to ask challenging questions –
thank you Big Brum! I am very disappointed to hear that Arts Council funding has been
withdrawn. The impact of this decision will have a very negative impact on young people’s
learning experience. Big Brum are able to engage with pupils on a different level to that of
teachers. Education needs to include organisations like Big Brum if pupils are to receive the
best education available and to develop holistically as individuals.”
Miss Rachel Hindle - Assistant Head of History
We whole-heartedly support Big Brum’s work and feel that this cut in funding is ludicrous.
Young people need the projects Big Brum can provide in order to challenge, develop and
explore their thinking. Big Brum allow all pupils to share a voice in a safe environment; they
have successfully supported learners who have Special Educational Needs and have
thoroughly captivated the disengaged. Your work must be valued and appreciated today for
the changes it makes for tomorrow.
Hopefully, the unanimous response of support from all of those you have worked with will
urge the Arts Council to rethink and change their decision.
We wish you all well in this challenging time,
Miss Laura Walker – Teacher of Drama
From Maria Wells, Arts Administrator
I first came into contact with Big Brum in 2009 when I joined Theatre Ark, the offshoot
company development of Big Brum youth theatre. Although Theatre Ark is independent in
its own right, and under its new name as The GAP Arts Project stands alone from Big Brum
as a separate registered charity, there is no denying or argument that it could not have
existed without the nurturing, continued support, valuable input and key principles Big Brum
has given it over the years.
I joined Theatre Ark aged 13 and at a pivotal point in my growing up. Originally having
joined solely as an actor, taken by the apparent glitz and glamour of mainstream theatre, my
journey began learning the true roots and ideas of drama. I was taught by Big Brum right
from the beginning of the value and purpose of drama that makes you think, and therefore
question. Having been to watch their productions I was drawn to the candid reflections of
life, the true exposure of human nature and the stark reality that is society today/what it
could become. Through my teenage years when I began to truly find myself I could not have
asked for better hands to guide me, to teach me respect and enable me to explore the
emotions I felt, all through the safe and reflective medium of drama. I can happily say I am
the person today because of Big Brum and Theatre Ark and only through their honest and
empowering upbringing would I have had the confidence to forgo the social norm of
university and pursue my passions and dreams in the arts – now volunteering and project
managing full time for The GAP Arts Project and aiming to create a long-term career for
myself with them!
I often wonder what life will be like in five years time, for myself, for society and for drama
and theatre. This tends to come with a mix of excitement and nerves, of hopes and fears,
plans and doubts. Since hearing about Big Brum no longer being part of the Arts Council
National Portfolio the nerves, fears and doubts have moved to prime position and begun to
fester. Without natural explorations of the world and the unique type of drama in education
that Big Brum provides then I fear for the upcoming generation and the risk of being further
seduced by society into solely consuming and blindly accepting. Big Brum teaches young
people to think for themselves and the valuable difference between a need and a want,
consuming and contributing. It provides you with a voice and opportunity to express
yourself as your true self, no qualms, no preconceptions, no expectations. Big Brum is one
of very few organisations that does this and their loss of ACE funding threatens to put this
in jeopardy. It’s almost as if society doesn’t want young people to develop their own
thoughts, identities and questions…I hope and pray we will wake up to the mess we are
creating before it is too late and that some justification will be shown by a decision to
support not hinder valuable organisations like Big Brum and the vast amount of young
people they benefit.
Maria-Angela Wells, Aged 18
From Ella Marshall, formally Big Brum Youth Theatre
Dear Big Brum,
I am extremely saddened to hear about the Arts Council's decision to cut funding to the
company, and sincerely hope that they will rethink their decision after seriously taking into
account the detrimental impact it will have. Whilst taking great efforts to re-brand itself as a
culturally rich and diverse city, by cutting funding to a truly unique TIE company, Birmingham
will have lost something that it ought to be incredibly proud of.
After many years of coming into contact with your work in various forms, I can say that it
has never failed to have a profound impact upon my way of thinking about and engaging with
the world. I have always found your performances captivating and the important issues that
they raise very thought-provoking. As a young person myself, I can imagine that the
workshops that followed your performances in schools only saw these merits enhanced.
Your work allows young audiences the opportunity to engage in what I think are some of
the most important lessons and skills for life - developing your own ideas and values,
empathy and understanding with others, thinking about how problems can best and most
fairly be solved, etc - but which they rarely, if ever, come into contact with through the
school curriculum in any meaningful manner. These aspects were also a huge part of why my
involvement in Big Brum Youth Theatre was such an invaluable and enriching experience.
Taking part in both productions of the play 'One Hundred Thousand Whys' and the trip to
Poland that the second initiated were what I would consider truly life-changing experiences.
As most kids are, I have been taught about the Holocaust a many number of times
throughout my time in school, but it was through Big Brum Youth Theatre that I really
learnt to think about what it really means, to actively explore this meaning, to engage with it
on an emotional level, and to try to impart this deeper understanding and the importance
that it holds to others through our performance. The workshops that we did prior to
beginning rehearsals and the important historical sites that we visited in our trip to Poland
helped us to really understand what it was that we would be performing, and, most
importantly, meant that we would be performing something that we really cared about. This
is just one example of the powerful impact that my many experiences with BBYT has had
upon myself and others. My involvement with Big Brum Youth Theatre has played a
considerable part in shaping who I am today, and I know that I am not alone in feeling this
way.
I want to take the opportunity to thank each of you individually and as a company for the
wonderful opportunities and insights that you opened up for me and others, and I hope that
you can find a way to continue making a difference to young people's lives.
Best wishes,
Ella Marshall
From Nikki Thorpe, Education and Outreach Officer
Dear Matt,
Thanks very much for inviting Nicola and I to watch the Home Front, Front Line workshop
and performance at Highbury Hall for young people. It was very interesting for us to see
the performance in that setting as there is so much strong connection with Highbury Hall to
the First World War, evidenced in our archive collections.
I really enjoyed the whole workshop and was tremendously impressed by the engagement of
the young people throughout the session. The way in which the actors set up the scenario
as a question for the young people to help with, with youthfulness at the heart of it was very
powerful and empowering, drawing them in immediately and giving them a sense of
responsibility to help the characters with their ideas and reflections.
When we moved to the room where the main drama was set, you could sense the
excitement and interest of the young people as they saw the set and the props and as they
were reminded that they had a role in trying to discover what the letter they had seen
before meant. The feedback from the young people, after that first scene, was quite
astonishing with them making some amazing connections and insights that were powerful
and moving.
The actors were highly skilled in reflecting back to them what they were saying and in
making them feel comfortable to share their ideas and thoughts. They were also very skilled
at switching roles as actor or facilitator. The many quiet moments in the performance and
the tension created at lots of points was extremely effective in allowing the young people
time to think and focus and empathise. It was very impressive to see how that tension
worked so well as a way of giving the young people space to reflect on what was happening
and I think it was instrumental in them being able to think back to earlier scenes and draw
on those memories to come up with ideas. It encouraged them to draw on their own
experiences to think through problems and explore universal themes such as loss, youth,
ambition and fulfilment. It also gave them an opportunity to think about the value of
memory, history and heritage and to uncover personal meaning in that which made the
subject of world war one suddenly meaningful and interesting.
The use of props and acting with the young people was at just the right moment when
enough time had passed for them to feel comfortable for them to try that out and act out
what might have happened. At this point in the session the young people had been given a
lot of control over how the drama unfolded and were given space to try out their ideas
which worked well, was fun as well as engaging. The sense of ownership that the young
people had over the drama and how it played out was very strong in keeping their attention
and drew a lot on the initial scenario as them as the keys to the puzzle of what had
happened by virtue of their youth.
I found it a very moving and powerful experience to see young people engage so strongly
with the drama and to share their feelings and reflections so willingly and confidently and
feel that this was entirely down to the skill of the actors in the calm trusting, respectful
atmosphere they created and in the strength of the script in putting youth and young
people’s experiences at the heart of it.
Although I have known of Big Brum Theatre for a long time, that was my first experience of
seeing a workshop/performance and it made a very strong impression on me. I would like
to work more with the company, creatively using archive collections. I know you are facing
a difficult time with your recent cut to funding and I find it very sad to think that this will
jeopardise the continuation of your excellent work and deprive young people of a
meaningful experience about first world war history and how they understand their
connection to this heritage. Please let us know if there is any way we can support you going
forward.
Kind regards
Nikki Thorpe
From Anthony Haddon, Director
Hi Dan
I am so sorry to hear your news about NPO funding. I have travelled a long way with Chris
through the SCYPT years and seen him and the Company emerge as vital advocates for a
TIE which has a theoretical underpinning to the practice. One of the most difficult factors
facing us in working in the field of TIE is the lack of quality which is accepted by
practitioners and the schools and it is has always been incumbent on us to raise the bar on
behalf of everyone. I feel like we are connected in this mission and I hope that the NPO
does not prevent you continuing to operate. TIE would be all the poorer for Big Brum
disappearing off the map.
Best wishes,
Anthony Haddon
Former Artistic Director of Theatre Co Blah Blah Blah
From Professor Tony Howard
Big Brum is one of the most important and most groundbreaking theatre groups in Britain.
Big Brum's dedication to working with young people - introducing them to issues of
personal growth and social responsibility, to the beauty of language and the challenge of
decision-making, to compassion and to hope - has made them a model for theatre
practitioners and educationalists all over Europe.
Big Brum has a history of innovation and a vibrant programme for the future. Their
continuing collaboration with Edward Bond, Britain's greatest living dramatist, proves that
young people can be addressed in the most challenging and sophisticated ways and that
distinctions between 'art' and 'learning' have no meaning.
Big Brum nutures citizens. Their funding needs protection.
Professor Tony Howard
University of Warwick
From Lin Reilly, ex-Headteacher
Dear Dan,
I was saddened to hear that you have recently had your funding withdrawn. As the recently
retired Head teacher at Kings Norton Primary School our children and teachers gained so
much from the work you did with us over the years. It was so wonderful to see our pupils
become deeply involved in the issues that were raised through the drama and the resulting
impact on their oral language and quality of writing. This, because they had "lived" the
experiences and felt that they had something to say as a result. Just as important however is
the exposure that these children had to live theatre, indeed for many from the poorest
backgrounds, it was their first experience of theatre. It seems absolutely crazy that through
this funding decision your theatre group is now in some jeopardy as to its future. As the
saying goes "man does not live by bread alone" so to take away something that nourishes
and enhances the cultural and artistic lives of children seems to be incredibly spiteful and
short sighted.
I wish you all the very best for the future
Kindest regards
Lin Reilly
From Mike Cooper, Consultant
Hi Ceri,
I'm very sorry to hear the news about Big Brum's funding being cut by Arts Council England.
It is very difficult to see how the enormously valuable work you do with young people,
much of it in Birmingham's most deprived communities, can be sustained without your core
funding.
The Arts Council may be in a tough place given the general cuts to public funding that seem
to be decimating community arts organisations, but even so, it is difficult to see how they
have backed their own priorities in this latest funding round and theatre provision for young
people in Birmingham seems to have taken a particularly hard hit.
A quick glance at the figures show that of £73m allocated for theatre in the Midlands region
(of which £47m goes to RSC), only just over £6m goes to Birmingham, including £5.5m to
Birmingham Rep, leaving less than £600K for the whole period 2015-2018 for what might be
termed more community-based provision in England's second city.
I hope you will be able to find alternative sources of funding in order to carry on, but from
what I know, that will be far from easy for a company that is already cut to the bone.
Best wishes and good luck,
Mike Cooper
Pete Wynne-Wilson, Director and Founder of Big Brum
In 1982 there was no Theatre-in-Education Company in Birmingham, and we set up Big
Brum to fill that gap. Initially it worked only in the 100 secondary schools that the city had
in those days, and occasionally in the other metropolitan areas around Birmingham. All the
work was new. All of it. Every employee of the company was recruited locally. The full
and entire focus of the company was on creating new significant serious work for the young
people of the city. Initially the work was funded through the Community Programme, then
through LEA funding and some arts funding. The first Arts Council backing for the company
came in 1983. The young people who watched the first performance by the company are
now 50 years old, and across that time the impact the organisation has had on the young
people of Birmingham has been immeasurable, and perhaps because of the steely focus on
the purpose its work that has characterised the company, that impact has been deeply
underappreciated in many quarters. The work spread across the age range to include
younger children, and specific focus on excluded groups was added to the remit. No arts
organisation in the city has created more new theatre work for any audience, and none of
that work has ever been watered down by the passing needs of the fashions of education –
it has always aimed squarely at what is and should and will be important in the lives of our
young people. And it has changed lives.
The Arts Council decision to remove the company from its National Portfolio is unjust and
short-sighted. We all appreciate that the overall funding is diminished, but ACE Midlands
received an increase of £3million, and there was no bigger picture that made this inevitable.
No-one has any automatic right to public subsidy, but the value of this particular relatively
small subsidy and its impact are as great as they have ever been, and the case has surely
been strongly made many times. Many other recipients of NPO status are being backed on
much less certain evidence. In a round where there have actually not been wholesale cuts
Big Brum has been singled out for reasons which are unclear. There is no indication that
the company would not be continuing with exactly the same level of single-mindedness its
programme of thought-through, uncompromising and high quality theatre-in-education. So,
what has changed? The Arts Council has publicly stated its desire to spread more support
to the regions. It has announced its main priority is Children and Young People. But the
sole theatre group that it has cut from NPO status in the region is the most firmly and
obviously committed to that sector. It has left the second city with no core-funded theatre
for young audiences of any kind. With many underpaid and deeply committed artists still
remarkably working in this field and continuing their work hand to mouth, we have just
attracted the world’s major Theatre for Young Audiences event to Birmingham in 2016. It
will be a shame if this huge opportunity to support, celebrate and develop this area of work
becomes instead just a focus for protest about what has been vandalised and lost.
I am no longer involved in any structural way with Big Brum, but I am and always will be
emotionally and politically with them, and will be doing whatever I personally can to help
them get past this act of sabotage. I regard this cut as an ill-considered attack on all those
extraordinarily dedicated, skilled and passionate people who have worked for Big Brum over
32 years, and a kick in the teeth to those of us who have stayed in the city and remained
resolute in our work pumping the cultural lifeblood of its young people. If the Arts Council
is in any way genuine in its commitment to the young people of the regions it needs to
reverse this decision quickly, or make sure that through whatever means Big Brum is
enabled to survive and continue its essential work.
Peter Wynne-Willson
Big Brum Director 1982-1992
From Richard Burden MP, Shadow Transport Minister
Andy Marshall, Director
Dear Big Brum
I am saddened and angered by the Arts Councils decision to exclude the company from its
portfolio for 2015 – saddened that my friends and colleagues will be put under even more
stress and angered that the young people of Birmingham will be less likely to benefit from
your invaluable work.
I have worked alongside you over many years and I know how truly remarkable Big Brum’s
work is. You have stood out more and more clearly as a rare beacon when it comes to arts
provision for the most marginalised young people. Challenging and engaging, your work has
continued to do what much of the education system has forgotten how to do – empower
children and young people to learn how to think for themselves!
I pledge to support you in any way that I can in finding ways to overcome this disastrous
Art Council decision.
Best wishes for the future!
Andy Marshall – Director of Cognition.
From Geoff Heaps, Education Consultant
Dear Dan and Company
I was saddened and most disappointed to hear that Big Brum have been cut from the Arts
Council England's National Portfolio Funding as of April 2015.
The decision comes as a huge shock and surprise to me for I understood that the Arts
Council had prioritised young people in this funding round and yet they have now decided
to remove their support for Big Brum, an internationally recognised and highly valued
company, that delivers the highest quality theatre to some of the most deprived young
people in Birmingham and beyond.
This extraordinary and somewhat contradictory decision by the Arts Council will not only
impact on the thousands of young people that benefit each year from Big Brum's
programmes and activities but on the future of Theatre in Education in this country.
I trust that this decision will be now be reviewed.
Wishing you all at Big Brum well for the future and thinking about you all in this most
difficult of circumstances.
Geoff Heaps
Geoff Heaps Consultancy Limited
From Deborah Pakkar-Hull, Director
Dear Dan and the Big Brum team
I want to add my voice in support of Big Brum in the light of the loss of the company's NPO
status.
Working within TiE, formerly as the AD of The Play House and as the soon to be AD of
Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah, it is a real blow to learn of the cut to your funding.
Depth and diversity of quality practice across those working to create theatre with and for
young people only benefits the sector as a whole, providing the opportunity to engage and
re-engage with underpinning principles of the form as a part of a wider community
committed to young people. Any threat to you is felt by us all and undermines the rich
relationships we seek to build with children and young people.
I hope that despite recent decisions you find a way not just to survive but thrive, continuing
with the essential work that you do.
Best wishes
Deborah Pakkar-Hull
From Gil Carr, Parent
Dear Ceri
My message of support;
I was very sad to hear the news of the Arts Council cut in funding to Big Brum TIE. This is
such a valuable resource, not only to the young people in Birmingham but throughout parts
of the UK where they toured. My children experienced their plays and workshops in
Barnsley. These were both moving and thought-provoking. Encouraging children to probe
and question is an imperative at a time when the school curriculum is becoming more
narrow and predetermined than ever before. This company must not be allowed to fold
and I would urge the Arts Council to seriously review this decision.
Gill Carr (parent)
From Steve Harrison, Teacher
Dear Chris,
We are both dismayed to hear news of the cut announced by the Arts Council. My
experience of ‘Stitched Up’ when I taught in Pontefract was a memorable one, providing our
students with the rare opportunity to explore questions posed by our society through
powerful use of their imagination. I remember all too clearly the cutting of Theatre Van and
The Duke’s- dressed up in similar rhetoric about ‘economic priorities’ from local councilsthat the Arts Council acknowledges the value of Big Brum’s work whilst slashing away the
means by which the work can continue almost beggars belief..almost. We offer our love and
support for whatever course of action you choose to take and please keep us informed of
anything at all we can do to help protect this ground breaking company.
love Steve Harrison
From James Yarker, Director
Dear all,
I was upset to hear of ACE's decision to cut your funding.
Clearly Big Brum is a company I admire. Your principles and integrity, history and vision,
commitment and energy are all admirable. I know you deliver a great deal of work and carry
an international influence, it is sad that this is not valued more highly in the circles where
the budgets are allocated.
I know that working as an ensemble is key to Big Brum's ethos and success. I hope that
there is a resolution to this crisis which will allow you to continue your good works.
Give us a shout if there is something we can do to help.
With best wishes in these troubled times.
James Yarker
Artistic Director
Stan's Cafe
From Miranda Ballin, Clore Fellow Wales
Dear Big Brum
I feel so angry and upset upon hearing that you have been cut from the Arts Council of
England National Portfolio as of April 15th and know that this could have a devastating affect
on the Company. Big Brum has been like sister organisation for ArtWorks since our
inception in 1998. As Valleys Kids youth arts project we have repeatedly looked to the
company for insights, and inspiration and we have never been disappointed. The breadth of
our involvement with Big Brum is really hard to quantify in this letter, in fact it took up a
sizeable part of my Masters by Research project.
Ceri Townsend from Big Brum generously acted as a Critical Friend when I was researching,
offering focus and support throughout. What was clear from the research was that when
young people from the Rhondda interacted with Big Brum Theatre it had a life changing
effect. We worked on International theatre projects and the young people have seen Big
Brum's work over the last 15 years. They attended workshops and seminars; they worked
on One Hundred Thousand Whys written by Ceri Townsend, which they performed for the
Holocaust Memorial Trust. A memorable occasion was attending Big Brum's 25th
anniversary event where our young people listened riveted to Edward Bond giving his
keynote address. Why did we come to Big Brum? We knew that our young people would
be accepted and supported, they would be taken seriously and they would develop theatre
and drama practice of the highest possible caliber — we looked to you for guidance and
support as youth arts practitioners and we learnt from you every time we encountered
your work.
Some of the young people who began in the Youth Theatre are now full time workers and
they sight their involvement in visiting Birmingham and working with the company as seminal
in their development. They say in the research that without such experiences they would
not have had the courage to go to University, or continue with their education. The young
people from the South Wales Valleys have little or no access to working with young people
from different cultural backgrounds and rarely experience professional theatre first hand,
the kind of joint work we have developed over the last 15 years enabled them to gain a
sense of who they were and what they wanted from life.
I know such experiences will be replicated in the schools of Birmingham wherever the
Company has been enabled to practice. The ethos and practice of the Company is so
important to young people and I really fear for their future when everything that is of
importance to them is stripped away. How can the Arts Council of England justify this cut
when they specifically state that that they want to strengthen the regions and support
working with young people, it feels like such a cynical response? They cannot know the true
implication of such a disastrous decision and how the arts will be viewed increasingly as only
accessible to those who can afford the luxury of them, what an awful return to the elitism of
old!
In February of this year Big Brum brought ‘Touched’, Chris Coopers latest play to the Soar
Centre in the heart of the Rhondda, in the South Wales Valleys. It was typical of the
Company that they embraced the whole ethos of the project, not only delivering an
excellent, thought provoking workshop, a play that left us teeming with questions and
tangling with contradictions but that you also insisted on taking time individually with the
young people answering questions and interacting with them despite the long journey home.
It is difficult to get high quality theatre to the Valleys and even on this night there were
young people who had never seen theatre before, they talked about it for weeks after and
we were able to build on the rich work you offered in our workshops.
One of my young team who originally came to us as a student on placement focused his
Masters dissertation on the kind of methodologies of Big Brum Theatre and it continues to
influence his practice, again he would have had little or no access to the methodology
without the Company so your work continues to ripple out in unexpected and important
ways.
When Companies get cut, what is most difficult to maintain is continuity of practice and a
core team, these are critical in a Company such as Big Brum who have developed such
sophisticated ways of working with Edward Bond and Chris Cooper. These practices have
fed the work of artists and theatre in education practitioners around the World. Big Brum
has rightly gained an International reputation for their work; their ripples are felt in refugee
camps in Palestine, in poor communities in Hungary and the poorest schools in Birmingham.
How can we lose this practice in the places where art is needed most? What kind of
decision-making is this that has led to ensuring that the young and disenfranchised in this
country and around the world remain at the bottom of the pile?
Please let us know if there is anything more we can do to support you — given the love,
care and support that you have offered us so generously throughout your history we want
to offer whatever help we can.
With all respect to you
Miranda and all at Valleys Kids.
From Nicola Gauld, Heritage Co-Ordinator
Dear all,
I attended a performance of Big Brum's Home Front Front Line, part one of a series about
the First World War. I was extremely impressed with the entire production. The session
was delivered to a group of young people who have been sent to a PRU. From start to finish
the performance was pitched at exactly the right level and the engagemeent of the young
people did not waiver throughout. I was especially impressed with the teacher-actors. They
encouraged the young people to be part of the session and a high level of trust was evident
throughout, which was remarkable given that the group and teachers had only met for that
session. The performance itself involved segments of acting interspersed with segments
where the group could discuss what they had just seen and express their own opinions
about what they were witnessing in a calm, supportive and non-judgmental atmosphere. The
play tackled some difficult issues around conflict and helped the young people explore issues
around this along with the loss and trauma that is part of conflict. The performance I
attended took place at Highbury Hall, which is itself very atmospheric and evocative of the
early 20th century. The set and props used by Big Brum added to this and they were able to
transport the viewers through time and space, from Birmingham just before the outbreak of
war to the trenches on the Western Front.
I am currently Coordinator of 'Voices of War & Peace', a First World Engagement Centre,
funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council in partnership with the Heritage Lottery
Fund. The Centre is about supporting a wide range of community engagement activities,
connecting academic and public histories of the First World War as part of the
commemoration of the War’s centenary. I was shocked and really sorry to hear about the
funding cut to Big Brum especially in light of our WW1 Centre being set up. Big Brum's First
World War series strikes me as being hugely important and valuable in terms of engaging
young people with very difficult issues and exploring the impact and legacy of the First
World War and I am very sorry that this excellent series, along with their other work, is
now in jeopardy.
Best,
Nicola
From Dr. Kate Katafiasz, Lecturer
Dear Dan,
This is very sad news indeed. Big Brum is a vital part of several of our applied drama
modules and work placement strand. More than that of course, you are an incredibly
advanced specialist educational resource for people who want to know about Theatre in
Education worldwide. I have just presented a workshop referencing your work at the
Performance Philosophy Conference at the Sorbonne in Paris, attended by Harvard
Professor Martin Puchner and renowned writer on gender and performance, Professor
Judith Butler. Our third year student Sam Hunt has asked me to send you her First Class
dissertation, evidence of the impact of your fine work in the field, in support of your request
for messages of support.
Let me know what else we can do.
Best,
Dr. Kate Katafiasz
From Tony Coult, Author
This is shocking news. While the press have largely trumpeted the ENO cut (which turns
out to be manageable with an annual musical at the Colisseum), this cut slips under the
radar. There is only one question that needs to be asked and that is “On what (if any)
grounds has this company’s work been found wanting?” This cut is a disgrace,
Tony Coult
http://www.tony3ts.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony3ts/
http://www.tomcoult.com
From Lizzie Eldridge, Artist
Hi
This is to add my voice of support to Big Brum Theatre-in-Education Company.
It was with great sadness and disbelief that I discovered the Arts Council England's decision
to cut its funding. I hope that this decision can be reversed.
Yours
Lizzie Eldridge
(Freelance Artist)
From Matthew Day, Lecturer
Dear Dan, Chris and involved at Big Brum
Although I am away from Newman at the moment, I just wanted to write in a personal
capacity to express my disappointment at this news. My experience of Big Brum is that it
does extra-ordinarily valuable, high quality work and is an organisation which makes a
profound contribution to arts in the region. The work that you do with schools and
educational establishments at all levels is of outstanding value and we can testify from the
work you have done in partnership with us at Newman to its empowering, confidence
building and inspirational effect on students.
I very much hope you will find a way to overcome this latest challenge and to continue the
outstanding work that you do.
With best wishes
Dr Matthew Day
Interim Associate Dean: Student Experience and Curriculum School of Human Sciences
Newman University, Genners Lane, Bartley Green, Birmingham B32 3NT Tel 0121
From Linda Rogers, Director
Dear Dan and Big Brum T.I.E.,
I write as a former practitioner of T.I.E. and I work currently with young people with special
needs, with those excluded from school and also as an A Level drama teacher.
It comes as a massive blow that the excellent and crucial work of Big Brum has been seen as
unnecessary by the Arts Council England. One look, for those who have not seen or
experienced the process of the work itself, at the programme offered by the company to
young people, will reveal that it is steeped in all that is important to young people today: an
understanding of the world around them and an exploration of a place in that world. This
comes at a time when the world for the young is increasingly one of struggle and conflict. It
could be seen by the Arts Council England that the work, apart from carefully and
successfully fulfilling the support for schools and teachers desperately needed in these
difficult times, provides for young people a safe space in which to explore the most vital and
difficult of issues, in a conscious and positive way, allowing a social response to the events
unfolding around them. This is about forging connections and creating hope and light. The
process is such, that the young people are enabled to do this for themselves, in their own
way.
The biggest blow of this particular cut is to the pupils of the schools in Birmingham, who
now, more than ever, need a voice and a safe place to have that voice.
I know that those pupils, who have worked with Big Brum, will be supporting the company,
as I do now.
With best wishes,
Linda Rogers
From Chris Bolton, Lecturer
Dear Dan,
It is with huge disappointment and sadness that I write this letter in light of the Arts
Council’s decision to remove funding for Big Brum Theatre in Education Company.
Furthermore I am angered that my colleagues in the company and the young people of
Birmingham could potentially lose the important and valuable work that is done.
Having worked with the company for the last eight years I have witnessed the impact of Big
Brum’s work on the learning of my students both in a secondary school context and with
Initial Teacher Training here at Birmingham City University. The learning created is
unfailingly powerful, valuable, engaging and challenging, which is what authentic learning
needs to be especially during the instability of the current educational climate.
Therefore, as a strong supporter of the company and its work in education, I pledge my
support to the company and realise the importance of the ground-breaking work provided
by Big Brum. The importance of your specialist work in the field of theatre in education is
second to none and the loss of it would be incredibly damaging.
Should there be anything I can do to support you and the company further, then please do
not hesitate to ask.
Yours Sincerely,
Chris Bolton, Senior Lecturer in Drama Education, Birmingham City University
From Philip Steele, Publisher
Dear Dan,
I wish to express my concern and my support for Big Brum following the cut of your grant
by Arts Council England.
Some years back I was privileged to witness the way in which Big Brum develops ideas and
techniques for theatre in education and was most impressed.
My own interests over several decades have been in writing, editing and publishing
information/non-fiction books for children, for school, library and the general trade, both
for the home market and internationally. There is obviously common ground with
performance media in terms of structuring content, providing context, communicating and
inspiring young people. In my field too, the creative energy that was the order of the day
when I started has been sapped by a change in the political climate, a narrowing of curricula
worldwide, dwindling budgets and loss of direction, and all at a time of great technological
change.
The media which are being reduced and impoverished in this way are often the very ones
which offer young people the tools to change society for the better, and surely it is no
accident that these are the very ones being targetted in times such as these.
Good luck with any campaigns and appeals that you make against this harsh decision.
Best wishes,
Phil Steele
From Jean Gibbs, Teacher
To whom this may concern,
As a newly qualified teacher I have to say that the inspiration I got from working with Big
Brum has been invaluable. I am about to start work in my first school and I will be teaching
an enterprise curriculum whose methodologies and impacts on learning are greatly fostered
by Big Brum. They have showed me innovative ways of exploring issues, both social and
personal ones, in a way that allows the students to be inspired, inquisitive, engaged and
insightful in matters that almost seem far beyond their ‘age ability’ grasp. Their work has
had a huge impact on my ethos as a teacher and has supported my development as a
teacher, and I can say has filtered through into planning and lessons, seeing positive attitudes
to learning rising. To stop this establishment from reaching out to educators is detrimental
to the continuation of drama led education. Professionals like Big Brum enhance the arts
curriculum through creating meaningful, relevant, topical and EDUCATIONAL drama made
with the needs of students always at the forefront.
I will continue to use Big Brum in my teaching as I feel their company has a huge amount to
offer to young people and would be greatly disappointed if a lack of funding meant that this
company, with such high standards of themselves and the importance of educating young
people in a meaningful way, were to be denied the opportunity to continue to practice.
Kind regards,
Jean Gibbs
From Michael Supple, Lecturer
Last year I had the opportunity to observe Big Brum’s Actor -Teachers working with young
people in a secondary school.
The work started with a ripped dictionary, its pages torn and scattered on the floor, being
presented to young people, together with the following question from the Actor-Teachers:
“We are trying to understand why a young boy has done this?”
A girl replied that she would like to do the same to all books; a large number of the group
was in agreement with her. For myself, a lover of books and former teacher of literature,
this was a statement that shocked me. For the Actor -Teachers it was an opportunity for
that girl and the group to explore that statement and their stated position.
The exploration was one of the most fascinating pieces of work I have ever seen in a school.
The Actor-Teachers did not attempt to silence the young people, they delved further into
what they were saying; they did not judge the young people, they gave them space to judge
their own statements; they did not encourage them to take a particular position but asked
them to genuinely explore their own in relation to books, language and words. To facilitate
such exploration with young people requires skills of the highest order and this was what I
witnessed.
By the end of this session the girl, together with her classmates, had reached a position
diametrically opposed to her own initial statement. She no longer wanted to tear the
dictionary; books and language were now to be protected because they were the things that
made us human. The young girl, who had stated with glee at the start that she wanted to rip
every dictionary and book, was now, together with her classmates, carefully picking up the
pieces of the torn dictionary and placing them back in order.
As Edward Bond has stated recently in his Note: “Big Brum's work lets them (young people)
open their minds in understanding and gives them the power to make victories.”
It was a privilege to see the Actor-Teachers empower these young people to make their
victory that day. I hope Arts Council realise that in ceasing to fund Big Brum fewer young
people will have the opportunity to experience art that speaks to them, that opens their
minds and allows them, often the least powerful members of our society, to make their own
victories.
From Ian Yeoman, Director
Statement of Support from Ian Yeoman
I wish to register my profound opposition to the Arts Council of England’s stated intention
to remove Big Brum Theatre from its portfolio of revenue funded organisations for 2015 –
2018.
Despite its stated commitment to young people:
ACE is clear that the implementation of this decision will fundamentally threaten the
future existence of Big Brum, a company that specifically works to engineer democratic,
public spaces within and without the school environment in which young people, (drawn
from enormously diverse communities and often excluded from mainstream arts provision),
can engage artistically.
ACE is clear that the Company’s practice is founded on the most theoretically
developed and coherent artistic and educational policy articulated in the UK today.
Ace is clear that (artistic director) Chris Cooper is a profoundly important writer
for young people and that the theatre in education programmes developed by the core
company have had enormous impact on the lives of young people and have influenced and
inspired numerous company’s across the UK and internationally.
ACE is clear that for almost twenty years the collaboration between Big Brum and
playwright Edward Bond has developed the company’s theory of drama and the imagination
to a hugely significant level; has allowed the “publication” of these understandings in many
forms and professional contexts - and has produced a body of plays for young audiences of
historical significance.
I wish to join with the many other artists and educators demanding that ACE make public a
clear statement of its reasons for decreeing that Big Brum is no longer judged worthy of
investment and why it is that despite the defining features of the company and the inherent,
endlessly transferrable skills and understandings of company members, ACE intends no
place for Big Brum in the future strategic development of the arts in Birmingham, the west
midlands, UK wide and internationally.
It is incumbent on the ArtsCouncil of England to answer these questions; first in discussion
with Big Brum and subsequently to all who are asking them. If the answers are incoherent,
then we are left to assume that in the context of a three million pound uplift to the region,
the total cutting of funding to Big Brum is driven by a rationale lacking professional
judgement and driven only by the dictates of the market so perniciously corrupting of our
culture. It will prove the lie in ACE stated commitment to the human and healthy
development of young people and will be forever and irretrievably an act of mind-less
destruction, devoid of values and vision.
From Tim Prentki, Lecturer
The decision of Arts Council England to cease the portfolio revenue funding of Big Brum
effectively marks the end of national, public support for Theatre in Education in England. TIE
has been a gift from England to the world and young people across the globe have
experienced the freedom and joy which comes uniquely from the possibilities for learning
which it opens. TIE, rather than being pushed to extinction, should occupy a place at the
centre of any curriculum concerned with the education of the next generation. Sadly,
government policies for formal education are directed, not to the education of its citizens,
but to training a workforce as low-paid wage slaves of neoliberalism. In such a climate Big
Brum with its unshakeable belief in the imaginative and critical powers of young people
looks like an anomaly; an irritant under the skin of the policymakers of Whitehall and ACE.
Whilst expressing my outrage at this absurd and cruel decision, I am also overwhelmed by
sadness at the trashing of yet another institution of social democracy. As handmaiden to a
government bent on the destruction of the public sector, ACE will presumably be presiding
over its own demise in the near future. Let there be few tears shed in that moment but
rather expend them all today at the removal of Big Brum from England's cultural landscape.
Tim Prentki,
Professor of Theatre for Development
University of Winchester
From Bobby Colville, Teaching Assistant
Dear Big Brum,
I can’t tell you how profoundly shocked I am at the news of your funding cut by the Arts
council. I joined the company in 1992 and was privileged to work for the company for ten
years or so. During that time, I was involved in creating the most exciting and significant
Theatre in Education in my life. It was innovative and cutting edge simply because we set our
self the task of creating the most imaginative space possible for the young people to tussle
with the problems of living and the meaning of being human. Since I left the company, I
know you have gone on to develop that task to even greater more artistic ends.
Obviously, having been a company member, I will be supportive of the company’s existence.
However, I am not writing this simply out of loyalty, fondness or nostalgia. [...] Whatever,
the reasoning for the innovation, and there is no funding without ‘innovation’, what it
distracts from is the absence of the young peoples voices, unless you count the ‘innovative
equivalent of ‘Oh no it isn’t, oh, yes it is’ as the authentic expression of young peoples
concerns.
Unfortunately, as far as imagination and creativity goes, it is even bleaker in schools. Young
people are forced to study, day after day, from the age of seven or less, on the technicalities
of literacy. Of story mountains, of adverbs, of drop clauses, I have yet to witness a child
being given the time and space to write their own stories, they are always re-writing existing
stories, which they have previously deconstructed. Yes, at eight years old, our children
deconstruct a text, they do not discuss what the story is about; content has been banished.
Where then, is the space for young people to explore their concerns; concerns of love and
friendship, of justice and mortality, of beginnings and endings, of value and cost? With an
increasing pressure to grow up and decreasing public space to play, where will young people
create their values, their selves?
Big Brum TIE offered the Young people a space to be truly involved in a dramatic dialogue
about their lives, a space to creatively face life in all its colour and contradictions, a space to
meet the other, to be the other.
What truly depresses me most about this decision, and it really is depressing, is its
irreversibility its irreversibility down the line. When, in five or ten years it is realised what
damage has been done, what cultural vandalism has been committed, we wont be able to go,
oh lets bring Big Brum back, it will have gone, all that expertise, skill, and understanding will
have dispersed, without a practice it will have faded. Big Brum has developed its practice
since its inception in the 1980’s, it’s first TIE programmes are very different than today’s,
although I’m sure you could trace the thread linking them together. This development has
come through the day to day, theoretical and artistic practice of its members, through
mistakes, frustrations and moments of insight. Without, a practice there is no need for a
theory, it’s an organic living process, once it stops it stops, it cannot be picked up at some
later point as if it were a paused movie.
The financial cost of keeping Big Brum is peanuts, actually it’s not even the cost of a peanut,
yet the damage its loss will cause is beyond calculation, lets just hope that the consequences
come back to haunt us, in a way we can not find the words to understand.
Bobby
From David Lane, Playwright
Dear Dan
I was shocked to hear about the removal of funding from Big Brum. I came to interview
Chris Cooper in 2009 about his work with Edward Bond for an academic publication, and
was completely overwhelmed by the artistic and political depth of work being offered to
children by the company, the company’s commitment to pursuing complex methodology
and real, true innovation in the arts to explore vital concepts such as justice and morality
and what it means to be human. As far as I’m concerned I’ve still yet to meet a company
that demonstrates a similar level of purpose, artistic quality and desire to reflect and
develop its overall practice. It is totally erroneous to remove funding from a company that is
not only providing engagement to thousands of children but is also one of the country’s
most artistically forward-thinking – adult and children’s companies included – in the field of
new writing and the use of drama as a tool for investigating the problems of being human. I
love and respect your/their work and hold it in very high regard. They have influenced my
practice from afar and they need to stay funded.
With best wishes
David Lane
Playwright and Dramaturg
Associate Artist, the egg
From Professor David Rabey, Lecturer
I would like to express my condemnation of the Arts Council of England's decision to
withdraw funding from Big Brum Theatre Company. This company has consistently
produced unique, important and innovative work, at the forefront of British theatre for
young people. It is impossible to maintain faith in an Arts Council and government who are
demonstrating themselves to be apologists and agents for a systematic application of
irrevocable cultural vandalism. The one opportunity to amend this impression would be a
reconsideration and reversal of their decision.
David Ian Rabey MA MA PhD
Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies
Research Co-ordinator, Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies
Aberystwyth University
From Arron Gill, Student
Dear Big Brum,
For me, and for countless others, Big Brum was my first encounter in which I realised how
powerful theatre could be when used in an intelligent and honest way for the means of
education. For many decades Big Brum's commitment to the empowerment of young
people like me, in the face of media and education fashions which have so often labelled
youth as 'disengaged' and other similar terms, has been unrivalled, and it is with the
proudest honour that I declare myself a nurtured being of its education.
The news of the cuts to Big Brum truly saddens me. The cut has come during a time in
which Arts Council England have declared a primary interest in young peoples theatre, so
how is it justifiable that in one of Europe's youngest populations that the template of a
young peoples theatre, the epitome of Theatre-In-Education has been axed with seemingly
no regards for its community and the values which it has so willingly enriched our lives with?
Although Big Brum may cease to be, its teachings live long in the minds and practices of
many.
Arron Gill
From Gavin Bolton, Lecturer
To the Arts Council of England
I am appalled to learn of your decision to cut the funds of Big Brum, a Theatre in Education
team that has been making such successful direct educational contact with young people in
Birmingham. You will be aware of the company’s high standard of achievement. Big Brum
has been a model over many years for other teams of players in the U.K. To turn your back
on such an example of educational enterprise makes me wonder what the Arts Council’s
priorities can be.
Dr. Gavin Bolton
Reader Emeritus in Drama Education University of Durham
Visiting Professor, Universities of New York and Victoria B.C.
From Naomi Doyle, Actress
Dear Chris, Ceri and all at Big Brum,
I was shocked, saddened and angered at the news that the Arts Council of England has
decided to cut all funding to Big Brum from 2015. I wanted to lend my voice and my support
at this hard time for you all. How short sighted it is of the Arts Council to cut support to
this extraordinary provision for young people in Birmingham. Though it is not only
Birmingham’s young people who will lose out. Big Brum’s work has a far wider reach, and
this decision will have a far wider impact. As so many of your other letters of support have
shown, your work is important, and needed on an international level. I have experienced
your work both as a performer and a participant/audience member and am always moved
and astounded at the depth and honesty of the productions and programmes.
We must not let this company go. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to
lend my support. My thoughts are with you all.
Naomi Doyle
From Gemma Grubb, Teacher
Dear Dan and Big Brum,
Having known about Big Brum for years through their work that they have generously
shared at the National Association for Teachers of Drama conferences, I have always been
so delighted not only with the quality of their work, but their focus on creating work that is
child-centred and deals with the very real issues that our young people struggle with in the
modern world. In a climate where more and more children in our supposed developed
country are living below the poverty line, it is vital that now, more than ever, young people
have access to powerful, culturally enriching and creative outlets to enable them to make
sense of the broken world they are living in and find ways to fix it. To discover that your
Arts Council funding has been cut is shocking news that saddens me deeply. It is a turn in
completely the wrong direction; where we should be ploughing more funds into the creative
work of companies like Big Brum, those funds are being taken away – instead of Robin
Hood stealing from the poor to give to the rich, it is as though the Sheriff of Nottingham is
in power and taking from the poor to line the pockets of the rich.
We are pleased to be able to support Big Brum by bringing them to our school to run a
workshop with our Y10 classes and wish we could do more to support.
With huge respect and good wishes,
Gemma Grubb
Subject Leader for Drama
Hazelwick School
From Anne March, Assistant Head of School
Thank you for your kind words with regard to Oakdale and Millpool pupils who attended
the Home Front Frontline activity/performance on Friday 4 July 2014. Your praise of the
pupils' behaviour is very gratefully received but it is important to stress that I feel that you
all at Big Brum need to take a great deal of the credit also. Through your spectacular
planning and attention to detail with regard to the content of the performance, our pupils
were fully engaged throughout. Through Richard and Danny's skill in engagement, they
created an environment of trust in which our pupils felt confident to participate fully in. I
cannot praise your ability to do this enough. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and
the three pupils I transported back to Millpool were "buzzing" with excitement about the
content of the play and continued their discussions all the way back to Millpool with us. A
strong testimony of how brilliant you all were.
I look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with you for many years to
come and cannot stress the importance of including our pupils in such activities as for many
they would not have been "allowed" to access such opportunities in their mainstream
schools due to perceived behaviours.
We are really sorry to hear about the Arts Council funding decision which will threaten the
ongoing partnership with City of Birmingham School. As you can see from my email, the
benefit to our children of all ages of being included in such initiatives is immensely
supportive in ensuring better outcomes for the development of their social skills, as well as
knowledge. Our children are always at their best when they are accessing education in a
"hands on", interactive environment.
Many thanks to you all and I really hope that we can work together again very soon.
Best wishes,
Ann Marsh
Assistant Head of School for South & South West
City of Birmingham Schools
From Malcolm Jennings, Actor Teacher
Theatre is part of the democratic process. Companies like Big Brum engage young people in
complex debates about the nature of being a human being. If people are able to debate,
argue, reason and deduce they are better able to contribute to the shaping of the world in
which we live. This is real democracy not sound bite, popularity contests that we are usually
offered, (is it any wonder we are disenchanted and electoral turn out is falling?). The ability
to problem solve and wrangle with complex moral dilemmas is being driven from the
curriculum in schools in favour of concrete, linear delivered closed packets of knowledge
the dominant paradigm's are child as empty vessel needing to be filled and teacher as police
officer/postman. It would be easy to imagine why this might be desirable for some people.
We need companies like Big Brum to keep the pot of learning simmering, with the addition
of new ingredients occasionally, for our young people.
From Janet Davies, Teacher
Dear Big Brum,
Our school has a longstanding relationship with Big Brum and over the years hundreds of
our students have seen a Big Brum production or participated in a workshop or follow up
work. We are an inner city school with a one person Drama department and it is often the
case that the only formal drama our students experience in their time with us is a
performance and workshop by Big Brum. It seems to me that this in itself would justify
funding by the Arts Council but their work is of such depth and quality and represents such
value for money that any cut in funding large or small seems extremely short sighted.
I have seen Big Brum challenge students with higher order questions, explore difficult
themes and present work that is engaging and relevant to young people adding value for all
participants, inspiring high level discussions, high quality drama work and enriching both the
arts and the PSHE curriculum.
Their work has a huge impact, on students and on staff - my own teaching has been
enhanced and developed through watching them work and observing their interactions with
our students. A cut in funding for Big Brum wipes these experiences from the educational
landscape - there are no other companies doing what Big Brum does and not just in
Birmingham but anywhere in the UK, without them the arts experience for the students at
our school shrinks still further so on behalf of those students I would urge the Arts Council
to reconsider their decision.
Janet Davies
From Sarah Allen, Deputy Head Teacher
Abbeywood First School was devastated to hear about the lack of funds for Big Brum. We
a school with great social economic deprivation that needs to provide children the kind of
experiences that Big Brum provide. We rely on the talents from groups like this to give the
children the vision to think big!
Please reconsider your decision re funding to enable children like ours to open their eyes to
the world.
Sarah Allen
Deputy Head Abbeywood
From Chris Batten, Chair, Equity Wales
Dear all
I was angered and sorry to hear of ACE’s decision to cut your funding but, depressingly, not
shocked. We know the barbarians have been at the gate for some time but it seems now
they are marching through with impunity. Like so many wreckers, they have little or no
comprehension of the harm they unleash through their actions, for now and the future. At a
time of fracture and uncertainty, it is precisely organisations such as Big Brum, champions of
the young, proponents of social inclusion and social cohesion, that are critically important
and more relevant now than at any time.
Big Brum’s reputation internationally as well as closer to home speaks for itself. Even a brief
look at the list of people who have written to support Big Brum shows the respect and
esteem in which the Company is held. It also demonstrates the recognition of the
importance of the Company and the impact for good its work has had over the last thirty
years. Without such people doing such work, one can only fear for the future.
It is vital that ACE revisits this brutal and misguided decision.
Chris Batten,
Chair, Welsh National Committee, Equity.
From Marianne Walker, former Big Brum Youth Theatre member
Dear Big Brum.
I am genuinely saddened and quite frankly confused as to the Arts council’s decision to cut
funding for Big Brum. With the council declaring the importance and prioritisation of arts
provision for young people, it seems absurd that young people will be restricted from
accessing such a unique and vital company.
As a previous member of Big Brum Youth theatre, I can speak from personal experience
just how much my life has, and continues to be enriched by my time spent with Big Brum. A
space was provided for me to be able to think independently, to question and to ultimately
discover what made me, me. As a young person at the time, this was truly exciting- never
before had I been encouraged to address what values I held and encouraged to creatively
express these. It is unquestionable how important this is for young people, and the profound
effect it can have on confidence and self-understanding. With Big Brum actively reaching out
to young people of diverse backgrounds, the importance of the company becomes even
clearer. It has provided access for youths who may not have a chance to engage with
theatre or arts, a space to not only access them but truly used theatre to enhance the lives
of so many.
The experiences Big Brum provided me with are still just as profound today and they initially
were. Through the chance to gain profound understanding of the Holocaust through the
performance of ‘100,000 whys’ and visit to Poland, through the chance to engage with
different cultures in a trip to a young people’s theatre festival in Hungary, and through every
session, performance and discussion I took part in - Big Brum has built within me a deep
desire to express myself and a realisation of the importance of community and human
relations. I will forever be grateful for all they have done for me, and would like to give my
sincere thanks for shaping the person I am today. I only hope that I will not be one of the
last few to have benefited from the company’s work, and instead will be one of many to
come.
Marianne Walker.
From David Allen, Artistic Director
From Jack Trow, Actor
Dear Big Brum
I just wanted to add my support to the collection of messages you have been getting from
across the city, the country and the world.
Despite the inevitable and anticipated changes to the Arts Council's National Portfolio I was
nevertheless shocked to find that Big Brum would not remain as an NPO. You are, I am
sure, preparing to put forward a strong argument with particular reference to the Arts
Council's own claims to be prioritising provision for young people and "developing arts
opportunities for people where engagement is least". If these are part of the Arts Council's
priorities then it seems that the cutting of Big Brum has no strategic correlation to that
vision - I know of no other company in this region who tick those boxes more emphatically
than Big Brum.
It is not helpful to compare Big Brum's suitability as an NPO versus that of any other specific
organisation in the region. Who am I to decide whether participants in a Birmingham
Opera Company production would be more or less engaged by a Big Brum workshop for
example? Or, whether the Fierce Festival audience discover more about what it is to be
human than a Big Brum audience? But it cannot be overstated that the level of
sophistication that Big Brum bring to young audiences is unparalleled in this region as far as I
am aware. It is rare to find work of such quality. It is rare to find work that expresses a
real understanding of the diverse ways by which young people learn - moreover how people
learn - how people think, feel, develop, live. And all this with a scrutiny and respect that
most other companies who claim to do similar things can only look up to in admiration.
If this cut spells the end for Big Brum it is not just the end of a theatre company, it is the
end of a 30+ years continuity of work. Work and expertise that will be very difficult to
start again from scratch. Also, it's difficult to see where work of this kind, and catering to
this audience will be made within either the current collection of NPOs or any burgeoning
candidates for future NPO status.
I support any appeal Big Brum make to this funding decision.
Jack Trow
Actor and Theatre Maker.
From Olwen Medi, Actress
In 2011 Big Brum’s partnership with Theatr Powys came to an abrupt end as the latter lost
not only its grant from ACW but Powys County Council too. The partnership between
both companies was not a matter of legislation: more a brothers-in-arms between BB’s AD,
Chris Cooper and TP’s AD, Ian Yeoman nurtured by Coventry’s Belgrade and Lancaster’s
Dukes.
I recall the clearing of a school hall after the morning session of a Welsh Language TIE in
Rhydaman when the austere dinner lady remarked “Don’t rush, I used to love it when
Theatr Powys came to school, it was always special and I knew that something important
had happened”.
Such practice gave the key to young people to challenge, give testimony – I shall never
forget a participant’s testimonial in Llanbrynmair during Minamata – and to be valued. That,
in our today where the Manic Street Preachers’ Everything Must Go is the continuing song
of our time. Heno, heno, hen blant bach.
Olwen Medi. Freelance actress
From Aimee Corbett, Actress
To whom it may concern,
I’m writing in regards to the recent Arts Council England decision to withdraw NPO funding
from Big Brum Theatre Company.
I'm a theatre practitioner working in the arts and education sector. I was recently fortunate
enough to work for Big Brum as an Actor Teacher touring their play Touched to young
people in secondary schools. This was an exciting opportunity for me as Big Brum is one of
a kind; rather than enforcing a moral message on young people it creates an important space
lacking in our exam driven education system, for young people to explore and articulate
their ideas about themselves and the world around them. This evokes a sense of cohesion,
confidence and empowerment. In a society where there are so many disaffected young
people, this work is essential. I have seen the positive and transformative effects that Big
Brum's work has and know that there are many testaments to this.
Big Brum is a dedicated and earnest company, and it has been going for 30 years and strive
to make a difference to those living in some of the poorest regions in Birmingham and
beyond. Over the years they have developed a unique pedagogy from their experience of
working directly with young people and artists, that makes a lasting and positive impact.
When I worked for Big Brum we toured secondary schools across Birmingham and further.
We worked with young people who'd never even entered a theatre to university students
studying degrees in education and theatre. The company provides both an invaluable
provision for the young people of today whilst sharing their expertise and training the
teachers/educators/artists of tomorrow. Surely this is a vision ACE should be supporting
and pioneering when they state ‘Our goal is for every child and young person to have the
opportunity to experience the richness of the arts’. I find their recent decision astonishing, if
ACE is committed to this policy as a nationwide vision – why cut such a company?
As well as being an actor teacher one of my responsibilities was to collect evaluation forms
from schools of their experience from working with us. During my time at Big Brum not
one of the evaluations received spoke of poor quality or lack of interest. It was the opposite
- teachers were amazed by the impact the company created on its students and it was clear
that they wanted more of such a provision.
It seems that such a small company which provides high quality artistic and educational work
in a time of cuts is good value for money. It is the young people which ACE claims as a
public body it wants to serve – those with a lack of opportunity, voice, experience and
finance that are being cut. Therefore I urge ACE’s decision to be challenged, investigated
and re-thought to prevent such provision being lost.
Yours Sincerely,
Aimee Corbett
From Tyler Keevil, Lecturer
Dear Chris and Co.,
Like so many other artists and audience members, I was shocked, saddened, and dismayed
to learn that Big Brum have been cut from the Arts Council of England’s portfolio for 2015.
I’ve seen the work the company does first hand, and know how crucial and vital it is to the
young people of Birmingham and beyond. I’ve also seen TIE programmes and workshops
based on the work of Big Brum, developed and taken up by its sister companies – something
that demonstrates just how influential and wide-reaching Big Brum’s work has been. One of
the most moving drama productions I’ve seen was a TIE programme of The Giant’s
Embrace, originally conceived by Big Brum, performed in a rural Welsh school. The effect
on the children was nothing short of extraordinary.
As so many others have pointed out, the decision of the Arts Council is backwards, has no
real justification, and seems contrary to their own agenda. The work Big Brum does is not
just necessary but essential, and has an enormous impact on the students and young people
who take part in the programmes and workshops. I just hope the Arts Council comes to
see how misguided and erroneous this decision is. If there’s anything I can do to help or
contribute to the cause, just ask.
With best wishes, and my fullest sympathies,
Tyler Keevil
Novelist, Lecturer, and Course Leader in Creative Writing, University of Gloucestershire
From Geoff Readman, Lecturer
Dear Dan,
I was so disappointed to hear of the Arts Council’s decision re Big Brum Funding.
In my view it is totally unacceptable for the following reasons;
1.
The Arts Council are failing Birmingham young people by denying them access to
theatre that is age-specific, school-based and devised in response to social and community
learning needs.
2.
They are also preventing the development of one of the most innovative forms of
theatre in this country; participatory theatre in which young people make decisions,
speculate upon events and become authentic artists in the theatre-making event.
I would urge the Arts Council to re-consider and review their decision on the basis of these
two points alone. I could identify many other qualities that Big Brum have to offer to
support their case.
Best wishes,
Dr Geoff Readman
From Steve Nolan and Margaret Nolan
Statement of Support from Steve Nolan and Margaret Nolan
We wish to register our profound opposition to the Arts Council of England’s stated
intention to remove Big Brum from its portfolio of revenue funded organisations for 2015 2018.
As Edward Bond says: “The mind is a dramatizing structure.”
Nothing is more important than Drama for young people who are developing a self and the
eyes with which to see the world and which will form the values by which they will respond
to it.
Nobody does this work better with young people than Big Brum. The company’s unique
relationship with one of our leading playwrights is testimony to this.
When much of “culture” today feeds only the senses, Big Brum have forged a practice which
gets to the heart, soul and mind in profound ways when others barely scratch the surface.
To think of destroying this or at least denying it the means to survive, would be a crime. It
would make more sense to raze a leading hospital to the ground and tell its surgeons and
doctors that the world would be a better place without their services.
For the sake of the young people whom they serve and for the sake of art in our
impoverished national community, the Arts Council of England, on our behalf must ensure
that Big Brum not only survives but continues to flourish.
From Vanessa Hammick, Writer and Performer
To Whom It May Concern,
I was saddened to hear that Big Brum Theatre Company are facing severe funding cuts. I
saw ‘Touched’ at the MAC earlier this year, and I thought it was intelligent, hugely engaging
and brilliantly performed- I was genuinely delighted to see that work of this quality was
being taken into schools where it can have such a positive influence.
I work in theatre and had heard of Big Brum long before I saw ‘Touched’. They really do
have a strong reputation for delivering excellent work, and as a performer and teacher, I
have seen and been involved in a number of TIE performances, so I know how hard it is to
achieve quality of this standard in this area. It takes a high level of commitment and
experience. Above all; success can’t be faked. Teenagers are very frank about things they do
not like, so for Big Brum to be rebooked at schools year after year for such a long time is a
true testament to their value; teachers would simply not rebook them if the performances
did not work.
I urge this decision to be reconsidered, particularly in the light of recent concerns about
Birmingham schools- an experienced theatre company is an ideal vehicle to keep
communication and fair debate alive in schools, and this is the time to invest in that, now
more than ever.
Yours Sincerely, Vanessa Hammick.
International Letters of Support
From Adam Dilworth, Director, Canada
I am astonished that core funding has been cut from Big Brum Theatre: an essential theatre
company in the English and WORLD theatre ecology. This is extremely short sighted. This
decision threatens England’s standing as a leader in youth theatre throughout the world.
Sincerely, Alan Dilworth Toronto, Canada
From Cao Xi, Director, China
Dear Dan
In 2015 there will be a celebration of 50 years practice of theatre in education and it will not
be a celebration without Big Brum. Being one of the most innovative, specialist and
sustained TIE company in England, Big Brum has developed an unique culture in developing
Chinese drama/theatre in education through Drama Rainbow for the past five years. The
company's internationalist spirit for developing qualitative art and education for young
people in China has built an enormous impact on our children, teachers, researchers,
institutions and overall the arts education in Beijing particularly. Losing the funding support
for Big Brum is a loss for all these children, teachers researchers and institutions and
therefore a loss for Chinese arts education too.
Best wishes
Cao Xi
From Roy Dib, Artist, Lebanon
We have been informed recently with great sadness and genuine astonishment that Big
Brum TIE Company has been cut from Arts Council’s National Portfolio. We understand
that first of all this decision puts the company into great financial trouble and moreover that
the company will face the possibility of ending its existence. This means of course that those
thousands of young people who benefited from Big Brum’s work all these years are
essentially excluded from quality education and theatre.
To us Big Brum and the work it is producing is not only inspirational but groundbreaking. It
is a leading company in the field of drama and theatre in education internationally. It is a
great surprise that there is even a slight possibility to lose such a valuable source of
theoretical and practical knowledge and that their work and offer to young people could go
profoundly unrecognised and unappreciated by the Arts Counsil.
Together with other international artists and educators we would like to support Big Brum
by asking the Arts Council of England to reconsider their decision.
Roy Dib
Artist from Lebanon
From Andja Jocic, Director, Serbia
Dear Dan, Dear Big Brum friends,
I read the news regarding the Arts Council decision to cut funds for Big Brum with great
fear and disappointment. If the country where the magic of humanistic education through
drama and theatre started decides to cut down the funds of those who go where arts,
theatre and humanism are most needed, and are not afraid to tackle difficult issues, always
striving to create great art while advocating for humanism and humanity, is there any hope
for working with marginalised and underpriviledged and giving them voice through drama
and theatre for the rest of us? Is there hope for those we work with?
I first encountered Big Brum while paritcipating in the DICE project, which proved the
powerful impact of DiE/TiE on developing and improving competencies of young people. My
last encounter with Big Brumers was in March this year, on Ljubljana Conference. Being
drama teacher since 1984, I still feel that I had a true privilege to attend a workshop
training by Mr. Cooper during this conference, and, regardless of my long and extensive
experience, it was a true learning experience, moving and touching. If this work had such
impact on us, adults and experienced pedagogues, I feel it is so important that you get all the
support you can in order to reach as many young people as possible, and give them voice on
their burning issues in a creative, positive, artistic way and offering strategies for searching
for solutions. I am therefore very worried on how you will be able to continue the precious
work you do, and offer light to those young people who already feel that society doesn't
really care for them, has given up on them; I am positive that you do make a difference in
the lives and future of these young people, and I think it would be a real shame, should such
an appalling decision prevent you from carrying out your mission, doing wonderful art and
touching the lives and dreams of those who need your presence and your work the most.
I hope there is a way to change the current situation and to make continuing Big Brum
magic of theatre and drama work with deprived young people possible.
My heart, my hope and my prayers are with you, stay strong, do wonderful theatre magic.
Go, Big Brumes, Go.
Love and hugs,
Andja Jocic
CEDEUM, TOK, BAZAART, NEA PANGEA (civil society organisations involved in drama,
theatre, culture, interculture and education)
From Wei Wang, Manager, China
From Adrian Buckle, Director, Malta
Dear friends at Big Brum,
It is with intense sadness that I read the news that funding to Big Brum has been withdrawn
as of April 2015. I have attended performances by Big Brum on the Broken Bowl Project as
well as during the Bond @ 50 celebration.
The work was top notch and I could not help but thinking how lucky Birmingham youths are
to have such a company giving them quality theatre in their schools.
Moreover, Big Brum has helped us in Malta professionalize Drama Education through
workshops.
I hope you can overcome this setback as it would be a pity if this work were to be stopped.
Adrian Buckle
From Susan Nicolas, Lecturer, Spain
Dear all
I cannot believe the news from Arts Council. This is a very sad day really. I would like to
show my support to your valuable work and express my profound rejection to this decision.
Do not hesitate to ask for anything I could do.
Theatre is the only way.
Best wishes
Susana Nicolas
English lecturer
University of Almeria
SPAIN
From Twenty Four Practitioners, Greece
Letter of support for Big Brum TIE Company from teachers and artists in Greece
We have been informed recently with great sadness and genuine astonishment that Big
Brum TIE Company has been cut from Arts Council’s National Portfolio. We understand
that first of all this decision puts the company into great financial trouble and moreover that
the company will face the possibility of ending its existence. This means of course that those
thousands of young people who benefited from Big Brum’s work all these years are
essentially excluded from quality education and theatre.
To us Big Brum and the work it is producing is not only inspirational but groundbreaking. It
is a leading company in the field of drama and theatre in education internationally. It is a
great surprise that there is even a slight possibility to lose such a valuable source of
theoretical and practical knowledge and that their work and offer to young people could go
profoundly unrecognised and unappreciated by the Arts Council.
Together with other international artists and educators we would like to support Big Brum
by asking the Arts Council of England to reconsider their decision.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Kostas Amoiropoulos, primary school teacher, drama teacher
Aristomenis Dimakis, director of drama studio ‘diadromes’, Athens, Greece
Niki Kavaka, health educator/researcher
Lia Damianaki, secondary school teacher, drama teacher
Emilia Fakou, primary school teacher, drama teacher
Panogiotis Bilidis, secondary school teacher
Melina Hatzhigeorgiou, drama teacher
Maria Barbatsalou, drama teacher, director of drama studio ‘Roda’, Karditsa,
Greece
9. Olga Mitsopoulou, secondary school teacher, drama teacher
10. Dimitra Giovani, artist
11. Ioanna Kampouri, primary school teacher
12. Chrysoula - Chrysovalantou Papastathi, primary school teacher, drama teacher
13. Katerina Kanelopoulou, school accountant
14. Vaso Zarkinou, primary school teacher
15. Evi FIlea, primary school teacher, drama teacher
16. Eleni Lazaraki, actress, drama teacher
17. Chrisa Kapatsoulia, primary school teacher
18. Katerina Anastasopoulou, secondary school teacher
19. Efi Vlahogianni, actress, drama teacher
20. Spiros Petritis, theatre studies
21. Emanouela Papasotiriou, drama teacher
22. Evi Papadopoulou, primary school teacher
23. Polixeni Mastora, primary school teacher
24. Fotini Dimitriou, actress, educator
From Peggy Stefanidou, Director, Greece
Porta studio (portaergastiri.blogspot.gr) is a non-profit organization of cultural education
that headquarters in Athens. Each year we accept almost 120 children in drama workshops
and almost 70 adults in educational seminars. The basic theme and philosophy of both
seminars and workshops is Drama and Theatre in Education. In addition, we organize TIE
programs in schools all over Greece.
For the past 7 years, in an annual basis, the main organization responsible for renewal of
theoretical, philosophical and practical training is Big Brum and its art director Chris
Cooper. Big brum is our main collaborator for both childrens workshops and adults and
teacher training. Despite the financial difficulties we experience, it is our goal to have Big
Brum with us, since their work is a guarantee of quality, high ethical standards and
pioneering work.
The work and the philosophy of this group has activated mechanisms of empathy, deeper
understanding and the use of creative imagination so that our students could reach a high
level of self-consciousness, exploration of the world and a positive view on an active
participation in real life.
The greatest achievement of this collaboration is that we, the people working at Porta
Studio and the teachers who attended the master class, had the chance to give back this
kind of social, moral and cultural education to the educational community and to the
schools at all levels of education.
By keeping pure the work of Edward Bond, Big Brum has transfer it beyond the United
Kingdom with consistency and precision, so that the writer becomes known not only
through ought his work, but through his philosophical and theoretical power. Currently,
there is an ongoing attempt to organize and decode the work of Edward Bond at the
University of Athens, as a result of the collaboration of Big Brum and Chris Cooper with the
adults of the master class of Porta Studio.
For us at Porta Studio, the continuation of Big Brum's work and the maintenance of their
high quality at all levels is an essential need, which aims to advance pedagogy worldwide at a
philosophical and societal level.
Looking forward to the new production of Big Brum and their next visit in Athens.
Best regards,
Peggy Stefanidou
Director of Porta Studio
00 30 210 32 49 829
portastudio@gmail.com
From Stig Eriksson, Lecturer, Norway
On behalf of myself and colleagues associated with the Centre of the Arts, Communication
and Culture – Bergen University College (BUC) – I hereby want to express our support to
Big Brum TIE Company and its continued work for the benefit for young people and
innovation in the sector of arts and education.
We have learned to appreciate Big Brum as a company that keeps a work of high artistic and
educational quality, not only for its primary target group audiences but for research and
teacher education as well. The Drama Department of Bergen University College has, for
example, collaborated with Big Brum over a period of more than 20 years; the first
encounter started in 1993, with a study trip to Birmingham for TIE-students, and
professional relations have been kept with Big Brum ever since. When Big Brum celebrated
their 25 years anniversary in 2007, the Drama Department celebrated them through an
article about the company’s work, in DRAMA – Nordic Drama Education Journal, No. 4.
Since 2006 the artistic director of Big Brum, Chris Cooper, has been a regular guest
lecturer and tutor for Bergen University College’s TIE course for Norwegian and
international students (20 ECTS credit points). In 2008-2010 representatives of the BUC
applied theatre programme cooperated closely with Cooper in the development of an
applied theatre teachers’ manual - as one of the end products of a major international
research project, comprising 12 EU countries: DICE (Drama Improves Lisbon Key
Competences in Education).
We hope the company will receive necessary funding to enable them to continue their
significant work in bridging art and education, which is such an innovative venture, much
needed in a contemporary society.
Yours,
Stig A. Eriksson, Professor, Ph.D.
Leader of the Centre of Arts, Communication and Culture
From Association of Independent Performing Artists, Contrast Workshop,
Forum Company Hungarian Drama/Theatre in Education Association, InSite
Drama, Káva Drama/Theatre in Education Association, Krétakör Foundation,
Montázs Association, Open Circle Association, Open Courses Foundation,
Round Table Theatre in Education Company, Theatre 21 Association for
Education, all in Hungary
What is the Art Council’s agenda?
The news of the Arts Council England’s decision to cut Big Brum from its National Portfolio
from 2015 onwards has shocked many specialists working in the field of theatre and
education in Hungary.
Big Brum’s work has had a huge impact in Hungary as well. The undersigned differ in the
extent in which they follow Big Brum’s artistic and educational path, but the company has
always been a reference point for all of us and many other artists and companies around the
world.
We don’t understand how the fourth richest country in the world, the birthplace of
theatre-in-education, the home of many experimental ventures in theatre cannot afford a
small independent TIE company that provides extremely engaging contemporary theatre to
young people.
We are startled because the company has been cut while it offers high quality theatre
experiences exclusively to young people, and does that mostly in the most deprived wards
of Birmingham.
Aren’t young people a priority for the Arts Council? Hasn’t the Midlands region received a
rise of 3 million pounds? Then what is real reason behind the cut?
Is it because they are working with challenging contemporary plays?
Is it because they are taking these to kids who have very little other access to culture?
Is it because they open up performances and offer the possibility to create to young people?
Is it because their high quality work is based on coherent artistic and pedagogical grounds?
Is it because they strive to connect internationally and build networks?
Or is this some ironic way of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the birth of theatre-ineducation, a unique British artistic form that has spread around the world?
We do not understand the Arts Council England! What is your agenda?
Even in a country like Hungary, which offer a fair share of challenges to independent artists
we find it hard to grasp this decision. We seek answers.
On behalf of the following Hungarian theatres and organisations:
Association of Independent Performing Artists
Contrast Workshop
Forum Company
Hungarian Drama/Theatre in Education Association
InSite Drama
Káva Drama/Theatre in Education Association
Krétakör Foundation
Montázs Association
Open Circle Association
Open Courses Foundation
Round Table Theatre in Education Company
Theatre 21 Association for Education
From Adam Czilboy, Director, Hungary
From Tara Power, Facilitator, China
To all at Big Brum,
I am very disappointed by the news of the funding withdrawal. I know that the work of Big
Brum has been so important, not only for the young people of Birmingham but further a
field. I have personally learnt so much from working with Chris Cooper from the beginning
of my studies in Drama in Education to my work here as a facilitator in China. Many of Big
Brum's play's and approaches to working with children of varied ages have been influential
to my own practice. It would be a great blow to the future of Theatre in Education if Big
Brum were unable to come through this major challenge.
Kind Regards,
Tara Power
From Christian Benedetti, Luz Mando, Elsa Granat, Directors, France
Mon cher Chris
« La classe propriétaire de la richesse / Parvenue à une telle familiarité avec la richesse /
Qu’elle confond la nature et la richesse », disait Pasolini.
C’est ainsi que le pouvoir actuel, en déni de son programme, trouve naturel that Big Brum
have been cut from the Arts Council England's National Portfolio.
Avec Edward Bond et tant d’autres je m’en indigne.
Ainsi la vie politique se corrompt sous la contrainte ultralibérale faisant triompher sans
pudeur le mal de la vie sur le bien de la vie.
Cette aberrante « castration mentale », ce grand divorce d’avec la culture et la création ,
avec les jeunes et la société doivent et peuvent être stoppés.
L’histoire est pleine d’enceintes préfixées mais aussi pleine de tentatives pour forcer, pour
rompre ce qu’on appelle hypocritement les règles du jeu.
« Le meilleur témoignage que nous puissions donner de notre dignité, c’est la culture »,
disait Charles Baudelaire.
Si vous voulez en finir avec les prisons ouvrez des écoles ! disait Victor Hugo,
Il n’est pas tolérable que l’esprit des affaires et son chiffrage l’emporte sur les affaires de
l’esprit et leur déchiffrage.
Vous devez refuser d’être traités comme si vous étiez en trop dans la société.
Avec d’autres qui renoncent à renoncer, vous utilisez votre pouvoir d’agir à l’étage voulu,
avec votre sensibilité, votre imagination, votre intelligence, votre disponibilité. Vous êtes
souffleurs de conscience et transmettez une compréhension, une énergie, un état
d’expansion, un élan.
Surtout que le fil ne soit pas perdu avec eux.
« L’homme est un être à imaginer », disait Bachelard. A fortiori les artistes que vous êtes.
Solidarité, frères et sœurs de combat et d’espérance. Avec vous, comme disent beaucoup
de personnages de Molière : ¬« J’enrage ».
Christian Benedetti / directeur du Théâtre-Studio à Alfortville
Luz Mando / directrice adjointe du Théâtre-Studio à Alfortville
Elsa Granat / metteur en scène associée au Théâtre-Studio à Alfortville
From Warwick Dobson, Lecturer, Canada
I am writing to express my dismay at the decision to cut funding to Big Brum Theatre
Company. The quality of their work for and with young people is recognized all over the
world. I frequently use the texts that the company have developed with undergraduate and
graduate theatre students here in Canada.
The decision is all the more surprising given that the Arts Council has supposedly prioritized
young people in the current funding round. The big losers in all of this are the young people
in Birmingham's diverse and deprived communities. This decision will have a major impact
upon the company's ability to continue to develop high quality theatre for young people. I,
and my colleagues in the Theatre Department at the University of Victoria, urge you to
reconsider this decision
Sincerely.
Dr Warwick Dobson
Chair, Theatre Department
University Scholar in Applied Theatre
University of Victoria
Victoria
BC
Canada
From David Lynn, Teacher, Australia
Message of support for the company.
The Arts Council has no business doing this. Unsurprising and outrageous in equal measure.
Big Brum is compelling and bold in its collective nature and composed of the best of
individuals. Through my association with them throughout the existence of SCYPT and
ICTIE I believe that part of the company travels with me in Australia and part of me exists
with them.
Big Brum needs to be!
Good luck and please let me know how I can help.
Regards
David Lynn
Primary Teacher
Queensland
Australia
From Chris Vine, Lecturer, USA
Dear Company,
This is appalling news! For many years Big Brum has been a beacon of excellence in the field
of theatre provision for young people, and has, specifically, continued to be an innovator
within the field of TIE, consistently combining educational effectiveness with artistic
integrity. In the face of regressive, outcomes-driven school curricula, and the on-going
demands for 'economies of scale' within an increasingly restricted and restrictive cultural
environment, the Company has continued to offer its under-served and marginalized young
audiences rare opportunities to make meaning of their lives through active engagement in
the theatrical experience. It has insisted on placing the young people at the centre of their
own learning as participants and co-creators in the great adventure of re-imagining our
world in the face of orthodoxies that would have us believe in a fixed order of things that
relegates most of us to the role of observers. It has steadfastly resisted the pressures to
turn art into yet another commodity to be passively consumed as an entertaining distraction
from the realities that confront us daily.
It was primarily for these reasons that last year I and my co-editor, Anthony Jackson,
approached Big Brum's Director, Chris Cooper, to contribute to the book Learning
Through Theatre: The Changing Face of Theatre in Education. Contrary to what many socalled authorities would have us believe, the aesthetic and educational values of the best TIE
are not a quaint relic of the past. In many parts of the world there is a hunger for the kinds
of practice Big Brum embodies. The sad irony is that as the arbiters of artistic excellence in
the UK once again turn their backs on home-grown innovation, others elsewhere turn
towards it for renewed inspiration. Since the book appeared in 2013, my graduate students
here in New York have discovered new dimensions in their emerging applied theatre
practices thanks to the theory and practice, illuminated by Chris, that emanates from the
tradition that Big Brum so ably represents. And they are not the only ones. Big Brum's work
is known, discussed and emulated from China to the Middle East, from New Zealand to
Norway. If the Company is allowed to die it will be a tragic loss for progressive theatre
communities far beyond the environs of Birmingham, but above all it will be an act of
barbarism against the local young people who so badly need - indeed have a right to - the
creativity and imaginative hope it embodies.
I very much hope that on the eve of TIE's 50th birthday, sense and sensibility will prevail
amongst those who have the power to keep Big Brum's light shining!
In solidarity Chris Vine
Academic Program Director
MA in Applied Theatre
School of Professional Studies
City University of New York
From Veronika Gaber-Korbar, Company Director, Slovenia
From Li Yingning, Director, China
Dear who this may concern
I am sorry to hear that you cut Big Brum's life saving funding and I want to share what I
think about this move if I may.
My acquaintanceship with Big Brum started in 1996 but since 2008, because of the
continued support from British Council China, I had the chance to exchange my visits more
frequently to Birmingham and watched Big Brum work. I've leant practically and
philosophically about their unique artistic view towards DIE/TIE and also their operational
skills on managing a TIE company. Mr. Cooper many times selflessly touring around China
through Drama Rainbow in Beijing and Shanghai Theatre Academy to teach our teachers,
children and students has made a profound impact on us.
I am glad that you've supported Big Brum to achieve what they have achieved in the past,
taking serious, deep and well prepared play into schools benefits children from their
childhood, which is what we've shared in China particularly through our NGO group. I
know how difficult it is for an NGO to lose funding from yours, and how sad for children to
lose a brilliant TIE company.
Therefore I urge you to reconsider your decision. Please dont stop a sustained fantastic
practice when it's already in its most difficult.
Best
Li Yingning
Shanghai Li Yingning DIE Centre Artistic Director
Shanghai Theatre Academy professor
Shanghai Theatre Academy Qingdao Art school professor
Drama Rainbow Education Centre Drama Consultant
Shanghai Theatre Art Centre Playwright
From Kifah Fanni, Poet, Palestine
Dear All,
As someone who worked so closely with Big Brum as they attempted to represent an
alleviated aspect of humanism of the British culture in a place and a culture that still suffers
the impact of the British colonial history. I think the decision the Art council made is a huge
mistake and leaves me as well as many only with the bitter taste of the British history.
Kifah Fanni, Poet, Animator, Researcher and Translator