What is Theatre-in-Education? The totality of the field of TIE is explained in the Preface to this Volume. Contrary to popular perception TIE is not limited to just "enactment" or performance of plays. It will be seen that performances are one part of the totality. TYA (performances for students) can be a part of TIE too, but as just one component. Theatre techniques have been applied over the years in many other spheres. One of the earliest areas of application has been education. Theatre-in-Education is the use of theatre/drama techniques to aid the learning process. Its function is primarily pedagogic. TIE is aligned to the philosophy of education that upholds child-centered learning. The emphasis on doing things first makes it heavily experiential in nature. TIE aims to incorporate theatre and drama activities in curriculum subjects that the students are examining in their classes.
The TIE programme in Bangalore Little Theatre has had a specialized interest in Environment-Sustainability Education. The plays included in Volume 9 reflect the emphasis. A special feature of the Volume is an entire collection of short plays based on Folk Tales gathered from all parts of India. The plays are meant for classroom use and to enhance curricular learning.
Bangalore Little Theatre
Vijay Padaki is a Theatre Educator based in Bangalore. He has worn two caps all his life with equal facility. He has been active in the theatre for over sixty years. He has been a management professional for over forty-five years.
Vijay joined Bangalore Little Theatre in 1960, the year of its inception, and later served the company in many capacities – as actor, director, trainer, writer, designer and administrator. In 2008, Bangalore Little Theatre Foundation was restructured as a Public Charitable Trust. It was done with the purpose of reinforcing the organisation’s commitment to social development goals beyond performance. The Trust requested Vijay to provide the leadership to a newly-created Academy of Theatre Arts in its formative years.
