Is Collaboration Mandatory in IB Theatre?
Yes—collaboration is required in IB Theatre. The Collaborative Project is a compulsory internal assessment set by the International Baccalaureate, and it accounts for 25% of the final grade at both SL and HL. There is no opt-out version of this component. The syllabus explicitly requires students to engage in group-based creation, meaning collaboration is non-negotiable.
This requirement reflects one of the IB Theatre course’s core philosophies: theatre is a collaborative art form, and students are assessed on how they create with others, not just what they produce individually.
What the Collaboration Actually Involves
For the Collaborative Project, students must work in a group of 2–6 people to create an original piece of theatre from a shared creative starting point. That starting point could be an image, text, theme, social issue, or stimulus chosen by the group.
Each student must contribute artistically. This does not mean everyone has to act. Valid contributions include:
- Acting or performance
- Directing or dramaturgy
- Script development or structuring
- Design elements such as lighting, sound, costume, or multimedia
The group rehearses, experiments, refines, and ultimately presents a 7–10 minute performance, which is recorded for IB submission. Alongside the group performance, each student submits individual reflective documentation explaining their role, decisions, challenges, and learning.
This is crucial: although the performance is collective, assessment is individual. Examiners want to see clear evidence of your thinking and contribution within the collaboration.
What If You’re the Only IB Theatre Student?
This is more common than people think—and the IB still expects collaboration.
