About C&T

What Does C&T Do?

C&T is a theatre company creating original dramas that inspire, educate and empower through a mix of performance, learning and new media. We believe that this blend generates creative, learning and democratic opportunities for all, particularly young people and those at risk of social exclusion. Our inventive thinking results in innovative, participatory theatre experiences mixing drama, new media technologies, the internet, graphic novels, software and even toys. We call these experiences Dramatic Properties.

What Are Dramatic Properties?

• Dramatic Properties use theatre as an applied experience, working with real people in real situations to solve real problems and bring about personal, social and cultural change.
• Participants are at the heart of a Dramatic Property, they are not simply an audience.
• Participants in Dramatic Properties are valued as artists in their own right.
• Dramatic Properties are grounded in the globalised culture young people are living in – therefore they often involve new technologies or other literacies with which young people are familiar. In other words, young people think Dramatic Properties are cool and they attract those who might otherwise not be interested in drama.
• Creating Dramatic Properties demands extensive Research and Development which C&T places at the core of its activities. All its Dramatic Properties are based on solid intellectual rigour and academic analysis. We develop them in partnership with universities and other educational establishments here in the UK, Europe and Australia.
• Six of our seven values – collaboration, creativity, intelligence, learning, originality and quality – are only truly valuable to us when they are underpinned by the seventh, inclusivity. All Dramatic Properties allow every sector of the community to make a distinct contribution.

Visit the Projects section to see what Dramatic Properties can look like.

Where are C&T?

C&T is a theatre company based in the West Midlands, in the City of Worcester. We’re based at the University of Worcester, Worcestershire’s main centre of Higher Education. We often work collaboratively with the University, but we remain an independent company working on our own projects. We work all over the UK.

What Does C&T Stand For?

Seven values are at the heart of our work: collaboration, creativity, inclusivity, intelligence, learning, originality, and quality.

But what do the letters C and T stand for? We work in many different ways, so it could be: Computers & Theatre, Community & Training, Creativity & Technology or Culture & Theory. You get the idea.

But in a wider sense, calling ourselves a theatre company doesn’t seem to encompass all the things we achieve. So we believe C&T also stands for more than theatre.

Making drama is always enjoyable, but C&T’s vision is of theatre as a powerful way for people to think about a subject, order their thoughts, and change themselves for the better. Drama may be a subject to learn but, more than that, it’s a way of learning.

This means that we often work with other agencies who share our agenda: the Department for Children Schools and Families and their Lifelong Learning initiatives; Local Education Authorities and the Every Child Matters framework; or a drop-in centre’s promotion of the Disability Discrimination Act.

How Does C&T Make a Living?

In recognition of the importance of C&T’s work both regionally and nationally, C&T is one of Arts Council England’s regularly funded organisations. We receive an annual core-funding grant, which covers roughly a fifth of our running costs.

The majority of our work is focused within our partner schools, located all over England.

Some of our projects are part-funded by other agencies, such as the Big Lottery Fund, the European Social Fund and so on. We also undertake smaller projects for statutory bodies such as the County Council, the Local Education Authority, schools and other single-issue organisations. Finally, we run a number of youth-theatre projects throughout the year, for which participants pay fees.

With Whom Does C&T Work?

Our partner schools are the bedrock of our practice. We also have emerging partnerships with VSO organisations in The Gambia, and schools in Malawi, including Bishop Mackenzie International School.

C&T has a long history of collaborative working (especially in Higher Education), including the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland and the Universities of Kent and Chester – we are always interested in new partnerships with people and institutions who share our values. We often work in partnership with councils and Local Education Authorities and agencies like Sure Start.