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News Music & Drama Education Awards nominations open for 2025 Nominations are now open for the Music & Drama Education Awards 2025, which celebrate the achievements of teachers, school departments, individuals, resources, organisations and charities. This year, nominations will be submitted through a new form-based system, which streamlines the submission and selection process. The 2025 awards ceremony will be held at the Royal National Hotel in London. The host, and expert judging panel, will be announced closer to the event. Nominations can be submitted in the following categories: § Outstanding Musical Initiative § Outstanding Drama Initiative § Outstanding Music Education Resource § Outstanding Music Education Print Resource § Outstanding Drama Education Resource § Excellence in SEND (Music & Drama) § Excellence in Musical Theatre (Music & Drama) § Excellence in Primary/Early Years (Music & Drama) § The Rocksteady Award for Progressive and Inclusive Music Education § Outstanding School Music Department § Outstanding School Drama Department § Instrumental or Vocal Teacher of the Year § Music Inspiration Award § Drama Inspiration Award § Lifetime Achievement Award – Music § Lifetime Achievement Award – Drama We will also be presenting the Music Teacher and Drama & Theatre Editors’ Awards at the ceremony. The Music & Drama Education Awards 2024 ceremony took place in February and was hosted by Cerrie Burnell. It was supported by headline sponsors Casio Music UK and Broadway Licensing Global. The deadline for receiving nominations for the 2025 Music & Drama Education Awards is 16 August 2024. To find out more about each category and submit a nomination online, visit the Awards website: musicdramaedawards.com Government increases drama teacher recruitment target The Department for Education has announced a 50% increase in its secondary drama teacher recruitment target for 2024/25. The uplift in the government’s postgraduate initial teacher training target comes amid a 9.1% decrease across all subjects. Updated annually, the DfE’s targets estimate the number of qualified teachers required for each secondary subject as well as general primary teaching. To meet supply for secondary drama, the government aims to recruit 450 trainee teachers for 2024/25, up from 300 for 2023/24, and 290 for 2022/23. / HAZA AL Queries on the increase A number of members of the education sector have publicly questioned if these recruitment target figures have been amended to improve the statistics available to the public. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and Colleges Leaders union, said: ‘The decision to reduce the 2024/25 STOCK ADOBE target for secondary postgraduate trainees – whatever the technical explanation – will be regarded with suspicion as it obviously looks like an attempt to make the recruitment figures look better’. The 2024/25 target for primary postgraduate ITT trainees, meanwhile, increased by 2.4%, despite falling pupil numbers, which the DfE said is ‘principally the result of less favourable retention forecasts this year’. For drama in 2023/4, the Government recruited 79% of its target, or 280 teachers, although these figures are still significantly down on previous years. Drama is one of eight subjects to see an increase in its recruitment target for 2024/25, with 10 subjects seeing their targets reduced. DfE response The DfE has established that the stark increase in this year’s drama target is to improve the amount of drama teachers recruited, rather than being a reflection of a favourable teacher retention forecast as other subjects have had. Releasing a statement, the DfE said: ‘Targets reflect changes in both supply and demand; different drivers may act upon targets for different subjects. For example, more favourable physics teacher retention forecasts this year have acted to reduce the physics target [down by 20.2%]. By contrast, less favourable drama ITT recruitment has acted to increase this year’s drama target [up by 50%].’ 6 Drama & Theatre Summer Term 2 2023/24 www.dramaandtheatre.co.uk
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News Sheffield Theatres launches opportunities for talent development Sheffield Theatres has announced a range of opportunities for artists as part of its 2024 Talent Development Programme. Sheffield Theatres is an umbrella group made up of three theatres: the Crucible, the Playhouse and the Lyceum. Talent Development: The Crucible rehearsals Introducing a new entry-level opportunity for aspiring creatives to observe and familiarise themselves with professional rehearsal processes, the Making Room Observer programme will be running on three shows. Firstly Chariots of Fire (applications are open now and close on Sunday 5 May), then A Doll’s House (applications are open now and close on Sunday 29 June.) Later in the year, Sheffield Theatres will also be recruiting for a Making Room Observer for Little Shop of Horrors. In other areas, they have also launched a four-month training HARLAN MANUEL programme, the New Dramaturg’s Group. These are weekly meetings designed for local artists to nourish an existing skill-set by developing and gaining practical experiences with dramaturgy. Sheffield Theatres are looking for five artists to be part of the programme, to be led by comentors Alice Fitzgerald and Frey Kwa Hawking. Applications are open now and close at midnight on Sunday 5 May. The existing Rolling Residencies programme will continue to operate for growing artists, and the Script Submission Window will remain open until 12 May for local writers. Finally, applications for the 2025 Bank Cohort will open in August, with further details to be shared later in the year. ‘We’re excited to share another Talent Development programme from Sheffield Theatres, once again embedded across our recently announced season,’ said Tommi Bryson, Talent Development Coordinator at Sheffield Theatres. ‘The next nine months are about continuation. All of these projects are between their second and fifth iterations: we’re building on success and delighted to continue to offer these opportunities to our creative communities.’ To find out more about creative opportunities at Sheffield Theatres, visit sheffieldtheatres. co.uk/for-artists. Criterion Theatre celebrates anniversary with free tickets for young people In celebration of its 150th anniversary, Criterion Theatre has announced a scheme that gives 150 free tickets weekly for two months for those aged 12 to 21. The tickets will be targeted at young people who do not ordinarily have the chance to visit the teacher, and will be supported with teacher packs and a curriculum aligned lesson plan from Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation (CSSF). The scheme will be offered initially to schools with the administrative support of CSSF, with whom the theatre already works on its Theatre Skills Workshop programme. Moving forward, it is hoped that the scheme will then be made available more widely. On 24 June, a gala performance celebrating the theatre’s history will be held, which will serve as a fundraising event to extend the free ticket scheme beyond the initial 8-week offering. The tickets will provide access to see the production currently playing at the theatre – Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York). Producer Tim Johanson said: ‘A perfect show for the scheme, Two Strangers follows two twenty-somethings as they navigate dating apps, life and love in an expensive city, and finding your place in the world.’ Trustee Sally Greene said: ‘The Criterion THOMP SON / JEREMY I COMMONS IK W Criterion Theatre (2010) Theatre Trust has been running this gorgeous venue for over thirty years and we are thrilled to be able to continue our work with young people with this exciting offer to mark the Cri’s 150th.’ Bristol Old Vic launches career-making playwright residencies Artistic director of the Bristol Old Vic, Nancy Medina, has set out a five-year plan to support the development of new British writing. Nancy Medina space for writers to build their craft, and also commissioning support. Concluding her first year at the theatre, she announced the return of a literary department that will focus on supporting writers and script development. Alongside this, she will establish a new initiative that will provide three five-year IDOU IP EVR BARBARA residencies for legacy, mid-career and early-career writers. The schemes will provide a This comes at a time when there are dwindling opportunities for developing playwrights, with funding cuts impacting opportunities dramatically. On the news, Medina says: ‘In 20 years’ time, we don’t want to be looking back asking where all the new British plays are. So, we are intentionally refocusing our support on writers; developing new voices for the stage that speak to new, diverse audiences, with stories that reflect the world as it is today.’ She continues: ‘We will commission and develop work that enthrals existing and new audiences alike, making a lasting contribution to a new canon of British plays which speak to Bristol and Britain.’ www.dramaandtheatre.co.uk Summer Term 2 2023/24 Drama & Theatre 7

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News

Music & Drama Education Awards nominations open for 2025 Nominations are now open for the Music & Drama Education Awards 2025, which celebrate the achievements of teachers, school departments, individuals, resources, organisations and charities.

This year, nominations will be submitted through a new form-based system, which streamlines the submission and selection process.

The 2025 awards ceremony will be held at the Royal National Hotel in London. The host, and expert judging panel, will be announced closer to the event.

Nominations can be submitted in the following categories: § Outstanding Musical Initiative § Outstanding Drama Initiative § Outstanding Music Education Resource § Outstanding Music Education Print

Resource § Outstanding Drama Education Resource § Excellence in SEND (Music & Drama) § Excellence in Musical Theatre (Music &

Drama) § Excellence in Primary/Early Years (Music &

Drama) § The Rocksteady Award for Progressive and

Inclusive Music Education § Outstanding School Music Department § Outstanding School Drama Department § Instrumental or Vocal Teacher of the Year § Music Inspiration Award § Drama Inspiration Award § Lifetime Achievement Award – Music § Lifetime Achievement Award – Drama We will also be presenting the Music Teacher and Drama & Theatre Editors’ Awards at the ceremony. The Music & Drama Education Awards 2024

ceremony took place in February and was hosted by Cerrie Burnell. It was supported by headline sponsors Casio Music UK and Broadway Licensing Global.

The deadline for receiving nominations for the 2025 Music & Drama Education Awards is 16 August 2024.

To find out more about each category and submit a nomination online, visit the Awards website: musicdramaedawards.com

Government increases drama teacher recruitment target The Department for Education has announced a 50% increase in its secondary drama teacher recruitment target for 2024/25.

The uplift in the government’s postgraduate initial teacher training target comes amid a 9.1% decrease across all subjects.

Updated annually, the DfE’s targets estimate the number of qualified teachers required for each secondary subject as well as general primary teaching.

To meet supply for secondary drama, the government aims to recruit 450 trainee teachers for 2024/25, up from 300 for 2023/24, and 290 for 2022/23.

/ HAZA AL

Queries on the increase A number of members of the education sector have publicly questioned if these recruitment target figures have been amended to improve the statistics available to the public.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and Colleges Leaders union, said: ‘The decision to reduce the 2024/25

STOCK

ADOBE

target for secondary postgraduate trainees – whatever the technical explanation – will be regarded with suspicion as it obviously looks like an attempt to make the recruitment figures look better’.

The 2024/25 target for primary postgraduate ITT trainees,

meanwhile, increased by 2.4%, despite falling pupil numbers, which the DfE said is ‘principally the result of less favourable retention forecasts this year’.

For drama in 2023/4, the Government recruited 79% of its target, or 280 teachers, although these figures are still significantly down on previous years.

Drama is one of eight subjects to see an increase in its recruitment target for 2024/25, with 10 subjects seeing their targets reduced.

DfE response The DfE has established that the stark increase in this year’s drama target is to improve the amount of drama teachers recruited, rather than being a reflection of a favourable teacher retention forecast as other subjects have had.

Releasing a statement, the DfE said: ‘Targets reflect changes in both supply and demand; different drivers may act upon targets for different subjects. For example, more favourable physics teacher retention forecasts this year have acted to reduce the physics target [down by 20.2%]. By contrast, less favourable drama ITT recruitment has acted to increase this year’s drama target [up by 50%].’

6 Drama & Theatre Summer Term 2 2023/24

www.dramaandtheatre.co.uk

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