Every child, parent and teacher should experience the freedom of a Theatre of Learning

For 10 years Big Wide Talk has been working with children, letting them think, learn and speak for themselves in Theatres of Learning. Thousands of children have taken part and exceeded everyone's expectations. Challenging, bored and difficult to engage children have taken their turn in the spotlight for the first time. Parents and teachers have listened and seen all of the children as never before. Children love working with us and never forget the experience, but it's what we do with the experiences long term, the meaningful reflection we generate, the movies we make, and the new thinking we engender that is important for everyone.

10-year-olds speak for themselves. House of Commons, 13/07/2011.

Whilst MPs debated phone hacking. Six 10-year-olds discussed their experience of learning with parents, teachers, academics and MPs in committee room 18.

Charlotte Leslie, MP for Bristol North West and member of the Education Select Committee, said "Schools need to be free to understand and meet pupils needs and skills." Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge, said "This is the kind of innovation that education needs, it is vital that we keep children's enthusiasm for independent learning alive."

Ann Jamieson, CEO of Big Wide Talk, said "Whilst intervention in the early years is hugely important, Big Wide Talk has found that it is possible to re-ignite children's desire to learn when then are 9, 10 and 11. Before they go to secondary school. The 10-year-olds taking part in this seminar make this apparent." Big Wide Talk has also found that differences between boys and girls are under expressed in mainstream classroom practice. Children who have been enabled to follow their own fascinations in 'Theatres of Learning' can work with teachers to broaden and deepen the curriculum, making what happens in school relevant to their everyday lives, enriching their education and making educational disengagement disappear."

Download the 'Seminar participants list'.
Download the 'Guide for participants'.
Download the 'About Big Wide Talk document'.

What people say about us:

"This was the best day of my life! It was better than Legoland!"

Joshua, age 8, talking to his Mum about the Cambridge Cloth Place

"These are Y5 children who can be challenging and hard to engage and yet in the Theatre of Learning they were all intensely engaged. Their enthusiasm for this self-directed style of learning has continued and has had a knock on effect across the school.Lesson plans can be linked to what the children want and need to know."

Vicky Dupras, Head Teacher, Avonmouth Church of England Primary School, Bristol

"It’s truly amazing, so glad we came"

Martina Whitley, Parent, Westbury-on-Trym

"To see how the children fill spaces when they are given the chance is wonderful. We should think more carefully about the amount of space children can use when we build schools."

David Howarth, then MP for Cambridge

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