Project notes

Goals: To broaden the horizons of disadvantaged young people and increase literacy levels

Funding: A variety of sources including Deutsche Bank, London Arts, the Lottery and Arts Councils

Going to the theatre is generally an activity outside the range of most young people in Britain. To help redress this, the East-Side Educational Trust and The Mousetrap Foundation joined forces to set up a scheme five years ago to make theatre and theatre criticism skills more accessible to young people.

Now launching its fourth programme, the Play the Critic project was developed with a number of aims, one of which was to help encourage theatre-going for young people in state schools studying English, drama and art A-levels. The schools are chosen if they have a large number of children receiving free school meals. A second aim was to raise the literacy levels of young people and develop their critical thinking skills.