School of Performance and Cultural Industries hosts annual drama teachers conference
The School of Performance and Cultural Industries hosted 25 secondary and sixth form Drama teachers for a one-day conference titled 'Teaching Drama Brilliantly: New Approaches to Play, Text and Tech'
There was a pleasing spread geographical of teachers from North, West and South Yorkshire, as well as a diverse range of experience in the space – with trainees, early career teachers, established colleagues and subject leaders in attendance. The conference also hosted Leeds City Council’s Leading Learning Partnership’s (LLP) Subject Leaders Development Meeting, which facilitates opportunities for Drama subject leads from across Leeds schools to meet regularly for networking, training and professional development. Conference sessions were practical, providing opportunities for teachers to upskill and refresh their knowledge of theatre practitioners, rehearsal strategies, approaches to text, and stage management, sound and lighting.
The lead organiser Dr Alison Andrews said: “In the planning period of the conference programme, teachers were consulted about the kinds of input they would find most useful for developing their teaching of Drama at both GCSE and A level. The desire overall was for practical activities with a focus on bringing texts to life in the classroom. Sessions accordingly included attention to stage management processes, use of light, and creating varying points of view in storytelling. There was also an opportunity to experience VR over lunch, including a 360 degree film of the stage@leeds Youth Theatre at work.”
Throughout the day, the teachers’ passion, positivity, and enthusiasm were unmistakable. Each session felt dynamic and collaborative, with participants continually drawing connections between the content and their own classroom practice. Despite it being one of the hottest days of the year, their energy never wavered — a clear reflection of how much they value high-quality CPD and opportunities for meaningful professional connection. For Drama teachers, who often work in small departments and face growing challenges such as budget constraints and declining student numbers, this kind of shared space is not only beneficial, but essential. Amy Leach’s session focused on inclusive rehearsal room strategies based on her professional experience working with d/Deaf and disabled and non-disabled actors in her work both recently as Deputy Artistic Director at Leeds Playhouse and throughout her freelance career. This session was hugely valued by the attendees, who commented on just how timely this session was when teachers are having to accommodate students presenting with increasing and more complex needs in the classroom.
At lunchtime the teachers attended an open space session which facilitated peer-led discussion around important issues proposed by the attendees. Themes which emerged from the open space were: trips, plays, and planning; low-level disruption and negative behaviour; strategies for increasing uptake, resistance to drama, and barriers to students taking the subject; workload, work/life balance and managing extracurricular demands; and budgeting and fundraising. In the plenary at the end of the day, it was clear that many of the issues which arose in the open space are multi-faceted and inter-connected.
Uptake to Drama GCSE and A level has been steadily in decline over the last decade, and with smaller numbers of students, teachers are seeing budgets being cut and are having to look for creative ways to fundraise for their subjects. A lack of support from leadership, poor behaviour in the classroom, the focus on ‘academic subjects’ and the influence of the English Baccalaureate were cited as barriers to students taking the subject. With smaller budgets, and increasing energy and transport costs for schools, teachers are struggling to manage the costs of trips and purchasing new plays and resources which in turn potentially negatively affects engagement.
Behaviour in schools is reported to be deteriorating, and teachers reported this trend as being particularly evident in lower school Drama lessons. Poor behaviour at this stage may be a contributing factor to students choosing not to pursue the subject at GCSE. The discussion around behaviour also highlighted the growing number of students who present with complex learning needs, alongside a lack of sufficient training or resources for teachers to effectively support them. Additionally, mobile phones and social media were cited as significant contributors to reduced engagement, shorter attention spans, and increased behavioural issues in the classroom. Teachers feel under pressure to produce extracurricular opportunities to engage more learners and raise the profile of their subjects, but several teachers reported that this is becoming increasingly fruitless – students will choose to engage with extracurricular drama activities instead of choosing to study the subject in school, thus again reducing uptake in the school and jeopardizing the future of the subject.
Despite the many complex challenges teachers are facing, the day ended on an optimistic note, with teachers saying they were ‘already looking forward to next year’s conference’. When asked what else teachers would like from the conference model, teachers evidently wished for more opportunities for support, networking, and to build relationships. Teachers asked if there were opportunities to bring students to PCI, see student productions or have students or staff from PCI visit their schools, all to help engagement and uptake.
These are key learnings for the university – teachers want continued support to improve their teaching, but by building relationships with students and create engagement opportunities, the University could also support uptake in Drama in schools, supporting the work of teachers further and in turn futureproofing Drama at HE level.
The 2025 Drama Teacher’s Conference was led by Dr Alison Andrews with support from Dr Dot Finan and Carolyn Bradley (PCI PGR). It formed a strategic project and had senior leadership support from Prof ally walsh, funded by PCI’s School Research & Innovation Committee.
Carolyn Bradley Bio
Carolyn Bradley is a second year postgraduate researcher in the School of Performance and Cultural Industries. She is a former school Drama teacher and Lead Practitioner of Teaching and Learning. She is an OFQUAL Subject Expert for Drama and Teaching and Learning, sits on the Advisory Group for the Cultural Learning Alliance and Co-chairs Pilot Theatre’s Learning Advisory Board.
Main image credit: Annabel Cohen.
