Immersive Theatre School: Summer 2026

About

IMMERSIVE THEATRE SCHOOL

A week long summer school teaching all the skills necessary to make awesome immersive theatre!

27th - 31st July
9am-4pm at Columbjohn Farm, Rewe, Exeter EX5 4ER
ages 12-17

After some incredible work by an amazing gang of young creatives at last year's Theatre School, this year we will once again be setting up camp at Columbjohn Farm on Killerton Estate (just outside Exeter) for another week-long exploration of visceral, immersive, multi-media, site-specific theatre.

It's a busy week and here's what you can expect:

* making a whole show from scratch in 5 days
* feelgood summer camp vibes, at the gorgeous Columbjohn Farm on Killerton Estate
* experience of a wide array of skills (writing, design, acting, directing, sound effects, lighting and film projection)
* all coming together in a final celebration of our work for friends and family to enjoy on the Friday evening.

The inspiration for our immersive play this year is George Orwell's Animal Farm. So if you are a young creative person aged 12-17, interested in multi-media storytelling and curious about what goes into creating an awesome immersive theatre show sign up now!

The week long program will run at Columbjohn Farm from 9am - 4pm each day with a performance for friends and family on the Friday early evening. Early booking is advised as places are extremely limited on this course.

Immersive Theatre School feedback from previous years:

"Thank you for creating such an engaging and inclusive course. (My child) has felt completely comfortable, inspired and accepted"
Parent feedback

"Amazing that children were involved in all stages of the creating process. You helped our daughter to discover her hidden talents"
Parent feedback

"I have learnt so much about creativity and am a better collaborator because of it. I'm inspired to take their passion and ethos into my career."
Student feedback

INTRODUCING OUR TUTORS

For over ten years, Four of Swords has been creating relentlessly visceral, vibrant and immersive theatre, film and education projects across the South West, such as a spooktastic recreation of Frankenstein at Great Fulford mansion, or a dark and demonic version of Oedipus in Beer Quarry Caves. In 2023 we masterminded the co-created community show Beyond Gaia at Exeter Cathedral, bringing togetther five different community groups in a dazzling, sci-fi infused, one night only performance beneath Luke Jerrams beautiful Planet Earth installation. We have also recently been working with the Wellcome Centre and a group with lived experience of seeing things and hearing voices on an innovative new adaptation of Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four.

We design and deliver the course content for Creative Connections, a collaboration with Exeter Northcott and the Pelican Project, providing theatre training and opportunities for Learning Disabled and neurodivergent artists. We recently created Madame Thespias Deliciously Diverse Cabaret, supported by the Phoenix, Northcott, Pelican Project and Libraries Unlimited, a quarterly open mic night for all, especially designed to platform artists from underrepresented backgrounds. We have also worked with Exeter Community Initiatives and the Ripple Recovery Group at Exeter Colab, supporting therapeutic theatre and storytelling work for vulnerable adults.

And, of course, our theatre and film summer schools have become legendary!

As well as working closely with Four of Swords co-founders Sarah White and Phil Kingslan John, over the week participants will meet and work with a selection of awesome theatre makers from Four of Swords' stable of collaborators, such as Sasha Herriman (singer, musical maestro and Artistic Director of The Bluebirds Theatre Company) and Jo Hruby (mask-maker extraordinaire, puppeteer and Artistic Director of Theatre of the Ancients).