From Debra to Forster and Amanda

Debra Glazer, Creative Learning Practitioner at Hampstead Theatre, has sent her video postcard to Forster and Amanda in two parts.





Hampstead Theatre was founded to nurture and present contemporary writing talent for its local community. The theatre now produces 11 new plays to over 70,000 people each year at their North London base and often tours these productions to other regional venues.

A key component in Hampstead's commitment to new writing is their Creative Learning Programme, which provides opportunities for people to express themselves through drama and scriptwriting. The programme aims to help participants develop creative potential and personal, social and communication skills.

Debra’s role involves delivering, project managing, and co-ordinating many of these projects, half of which take place in house and half which take place out at schools and community settings.

The Creative Learning Department works in schools throughout the day (lunchtime writing clubs) or after school hours (scriptwriting club), to improve literacy and make new writing meaningful and relevant to as many young people as possible. The stories and plays produced are performed by professional actors in Hampstead's dedicated Creative Learning studio theatre, ‘The Michael Frayn Space’. They also deliver projects in a variety of settings, including hospitals and community centres. Debra is currently running a project with young people at The Royal Free Hospital School, which is just down the road from the theatre.

Hampstead aims to make the work available to people of all ages and from all aspects of the community. Debra has run adult devising and performance projects for anyone over 18 and worked with ESOL students from a local college, using drama games and improvisation to support literacy.

The heat&light company (Hampstead Theatre’s youth theatre), consists of budding writers, performers, directors, stage managers and technicians. The company produces twelve performances a year which are produced in ‘The Michael Frayn Space’. heat&light is broken into four age groups: 11- 14, 14 – 16, 16 – 18 and 18 – 25 year olds (not in full time education).

This term Debra is working with the 14 – 16 year olds, who have written short plays with playwright Richard Cameron, in conjunction with Graeae Theatre Company. She is also working with Gabriel Bissett Smith, who is currently under commission to write a 50 minute play for the company to begin rehearsing in the New Year.