It is therefore surprising that there is a lack of comprehensive research into this area. In contrast, the area of children’s theatre remains undeservingly underdeveloped in terms of creating an academic and critical understanding of the topic. The benefits of developing an academic discipline focusing solely on children’s theatre are clear; it will not only advocate a further appreciation of the field  (which in turn can stimulate the funding of this kind of theatre), it can also have much more direct benefits for the practical application of theatre for the young. For example in 2001 the Dutch theatre company De Citadel commissioned independent research to explore and understand the child and their fantasy and experiences, in order to create theatre that relates and engages this particular audience. Research into the child audience, their reception of theatre, as well as wider issues concerning the creation of art and entertainment for the young, can inform practitioners and compliment their work by providing further insights into these topics.

This site is therefore an initiative to focus on critical and theoretical appreciations of children’s theatre: it aims to elevate the study of children’s theatre to the level of other theatre studies, as well as bring together both academics and practitioners with an interest for research into theatre for the young. Hopefully this will connect both practical and academic fields and motivate collaborations that will benefit both approaches. By highlighting current projects and publications, those active within the field can begin to establish a network to support and gain from each others understanding of the topic of children’s theatre.

If you are interested in this project and would like to contribute to the site by adding a blog piece, reference to a project, paper or publication, please email me a short extract briefly outlining your work.

Although this is a UK based initiative, it is not intended to restrict the discussions and contributions to issues solely regarding UK theatre. Instead this site has been designed to encourage worldwide engagement with the theoretical and practical work that is taking place within the area of theatre for young audiences. The exchange of idea’s, projects and publications across borders, disciplinary or otherwise, will be essential to establishing an informative and supportive network that is necessary to encourage the need to study theatre for young audiences.

Karian Schuitema, PhD Researcher: karian.schuitema@my.westminster.ac.uk