The Fire In Cambridge
A Theatre of Peace Schools Tour and Workshops UK/USA 2024/25
The play is a response to Baldwin's plea in his book 'The Fire Next Time' to 'end the racial nightmare' in America and the wider world.
This 'Theatre of Peace' production uses the Baldwin, Buckley debate to address the issues of peace and conflict towards 'others'.
The plot is centered around four young people from different cultural backgrounds involved in a school project to understand the causes of, and possible solutions for, peace and conflict in the world at this time.
In the play, these four young people have to deal with their own positions on race and violence, peace and conflict, when one of their group 'likes' a racist comment about one of the other group members on social media. This simple 'thumbs up' is a catalyst for destroying not only their school project but also their friendship and their trust.
This applied theatre production will introduce young people to the archetypes of the Peacebuilder, the vocabulary of the Peace Matrix and the process of personal and collective transformation created by Professor Hilary Cremin (currently head of the faculty of education at Cambridge University) and Roy Leighton (founding director of Undiscovered Country)
These tools are also used as part of the rehearsal process with the actors so they can become more conscious of their archetypes as well as using this knowledge to inform character development
On the 11th March 2021, Craig and Roy, working with Scarlett-Mai (one of the young actors, and facilitators going out on tour) launched the production by delivering an extract from the script for schools and a full public reading of this famous debate at the Cambridge Union, Cambridge University, England.
This recording is a free resource for schools. Just click on the link above.
The Fire In Cambridge is an applied theatre for education production for secondary schools, colleges and community groups.
Written by Roy Leighton and Craig Green to mark the 60th anniversary of the James Baldwin and Williman F Buckley debate that took place at the Cambridge Union on the 18th of February 1965.
In partnership with Narrative Alchemy and Undiscovered Country in the United Kingdom and the Positive Education Consortium in the United State of America.
Our Theatre of Peace programmes are available
in a variety of formats:
Keynote address is a lively and thought-provoking one-hour presentation, adapted to the needs of the audience and designed to galvanise your conference or event.
This half-day programme is designed to give you a crash course in designing and implementing teaching as storytelling in your school.
This full-day programme is designed to dig a little deeper into the underlying art and science of storytelling and the power of myth.
This 101 Day programme is designed to give you a complete and in-depth course in designing and implementing Peace Education through story and play in your own establishment.
Who provides this programme?
Ria Hardy
Roy Leighton
Matt Aldridge
Paul Sturtivant
Deb Thompson