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Harrogate Theatre’s Creative Engagement department prides itself on developing learning through creativity.

With over 30 years of teaching and directing experience we bring real-classroom practice and curriculum knowledge to our work in primary schools. For secondary schools we link you up with specialist artists, offer careers advice and work experience opportunities as young people consider their futures.

Two members of HYT laughing together sat on the floor

Primary Schools

Central to our schools work is our dynamic School Partnership Scheme offering primaries the chance to work closely with our theatre professionals across a school year.

We also have a range of brilliant history and literacy workshops which can be adapted to suit any primary school key stage.

Our popular after school clubs give KS1 & 2 pupils the unique opportunity to work towards a performance in Harrogate Theatre’s intimate Studio space.

  • Join Harrogate Theatre for a dynamic partnership which every pupil and staff member will benefit from!

    In 22/23 Harrogate Theatre launched our School Partnership Scheme; our new year-long primary school partnership programme designed to add something special to your curriculum and to reward your amazing staff. This year we are proud to be working with Grove Road Community Primary School and Pannal Primary School.

    The SPS is flexible – we want to work with your school to build the right package for your staff and students. No two settings are the same and our aim is to understand the individuality of your school and tailor our packages to provide creative opportunities and experiences for your students. As a guide for a school of around 100-200 students, we’d recommend our single form entry package, which includes:

    •A whole school assembly to introduce the partnership
    •14 hours of cross curricular workshops for use across the academic year.
    •A 10 week After School Club for 20 participants, leading to two performances in the Studio at Harrogate Theatre.
    •A tour of Harrogate Theatre for one class
    •Free access to our Teacher CPD event at Harrogate Theatre
    •Additional benefits when you book a class trip to Harrogate Theatre’s Pantomime
    •An exclusive school staff wellbeing offer – 20% off selected tickets throughout the year.

    Schools Partnership Scheme Fee £1800 – saving over £400 on the cost of these activities individually.

    Additional workshops, assemblies and tours can be included by request.

    Our School Partnership Scheme is available to up to 3 schools per year. To chat about a partnership for your school, or to find out more about our Schools work, contact Niki Alderson, Creative Engagement Manager at [email protected]

  • Harrogate Theatre’s after-school drama clubs give pupils the fantastic opportunity to work towards their own performance in the Harrogate Studio Theatre via a creative and challenging drama club.

    “I thought that the whole experience was absolutely fantastic. I was truly amazed at the quality of the children’s work, all down to your superb teaching! They were ‘buzzing’ from the experience and parents were so proud of them – as was I. I am still amazed at how well everyone did, particularly our youngest ones.” Headteacher

    Each school works with a Harrogate Theatre practitioner over a term in a 60-minute after-school drama club. In the final week the club is invited to the theatre to spend the afternoon touring our historic Victorian building and rehearsing for two evening performances for friends and family held in our versatile 60-seater Studio Theatre.

Primary School Workshops

  • If your class would love to stand in the spotlight, are curious about how we do things or want to see behind the scenes then our Pantomime Experiences are just the ticket. Pantomime Experiences include:

    • Theatre tour where pupils will get the chance to stand on the pantomime stage and see behind the scenes!
    • Performance workshop to explore pantomime conventions and create their own Dick Whittington characters.
    • Sound and light workshop to see science in action creating colours, shadows and special effects onstage.

    Available on Mondays & Tuesdays from 27 November to 9 January.

    Cost: £225 for a half day experience for one class.

    To book contact: [email protected]

  • A workshop on the history of Harrogate, developed in association with Harrogate Pump Room Museum. Bringing Harrogate’s spa history to life with a lively exploration of the key moments and figures in Harrogate’s unique past.

    This workshop is an inspiring way to kick-start your Harrogate topic as we meet Betty Lupton, smell the sulphur water and act out key moments from Harrogate’s watery past to bring local history to life.

  • Your pupils will get to grips with Shakespeare’s poetic language whilst enjoying performing key scenes of his most famous plays. Taking Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest or Romeo & Juliet as our starting point pupils will learn about Tudor performances, how to speak iambic pentameter and understand the key story points of one of the greatest plays of our history.

  • Through re-telling an exciting Greek myth your pupils will discover the origins of modern theatre and how it links to the Ancient Olympian Gods and Goddesses. Using The Minotaur and Perseus and the Gorgons as our stimuli your pupils will learn about Greek cultural life, how Greeks performed in coliseums and understand key story points from a famous Greek myth.

  • Pupils will love acting out their favourite classic characters in this fun workshop identifying the key elements of traditional tales. They will learn about story structure, stock characters and locations before being encouraged to act out their own alternative endings!

Do you want to book a workshop? Do you need a workshop not listed here? Email [email protected] with your details and we’ll be in touch to discuss your learning objectives.
Harrogate Youth Theatre in room practicing together

Secondary Schools

For secondary schools we link you up with local theatre companies for specialist workshops, provide careers advice at careers evenings and offer work experience. To be added to the schools mailing list and receive information about performances and workshop opportunities your pupils will be inspired by email [email protected]

Harrogate Theatre schools completing activity using post-it notes

Work Experience

We offer week-long work experience placements to students in years 10 and 11 and Sixth Form. Working as a Theatre Assistant for the week you will spend time working in Creative Engagement, Box Office, Front of House, Programming, Production and Marketing to get a broad experience of the role each department plays in the daily life of Harrogate Theatre. Alongside your placement you will be offered the opportunity to complete Arts Award Bronze, a nationally recognised accreditation of your achievement in the arts. Please note there is a cost to the accreditation.

In your application you should include:

  • The dates you are applying for
  • The subjects you are studying
  • What interests you about a placement at Harrogate Theatre

Please note: we are not able to offer work experience placements in stage management, wardrobe / makeup, directing or set design. Demand for placements is extremely high. Priority is given to Harrogate Youth Theatre members.

The dates we have available for placements in 2024 are as follows:
w/c 20 May

w/c 3 June

w/c 10 June

w/c 24 June

w/c 8 July

w/c 15 July

The deadline for applications is Friday 1 December. Candidates will then be shortlisted and invited to an informal interview.

Send your application to Creative Engagement, Harrogate Theatre, Oxford Street, Harrogate, HG1 1QF or email it to [email protected]. Applications can be written or recorded.

Creative Engagement

Find out more about how you, your child or your school can get involved below.

Planning your schools visit More creative engagement