A Brief History

C&T was formed in 1988 by four Drama graduates from University College Worcester (now University of Worcester). Collar and TIE (as the company was then called) soon developed a strong reputation in Worcestershire and the West Midlands for touring plays in the grand tradition of Theatre in Education.

The Local Education Authority shake-ups of the 90s and young peoples’ affinity for an emerging digital society were both the practical and creative prompts for the company’s reinvention of itself as C&T – the end of one era, and the start of another.

Simultaneously, C&T also chose to revive the moribund form of documentary theatre, anticipating the “rediscovery” of the form by David Hare (The Permanent Way, Stuff Happens) and others in the last ten years. This formed the basis of its first major project supported by the European Social Fund, the Big Lottery and the Department for Education and Skills – thelivingnewspaper.net.

C&T has inherited all of its predecessor’s passion for social change, diversity and inclusivity, and forged a place for itself at the cutting edge of a new practice which sees drama as a vital component in today’s world. Despite being immersed in our “dramatised society”, we don’t even notice our own status as creative people. But our participation in interactive dramas (both real and ficitonal) on TV, in video games and on the internet shows how drama is as strong as ever.

Over the last ten years, we have been continuously developing new ideas, placing digital technologies at the heart of the drama, and giving young people a new sense of confidence that drama does connect to their experience, and that they do have a creative contribution to make to their community.