Beginnings - The Founders: 1981

Bernard Benson

Author, entrepreneur, artist, visionary, Bernard provided the story that became Peace Child. The idea of setting the story in the future and looking back to the past came from his landmark book, The Peace Book.

David Gordon

Composer, lyricist and prophet, David's songs have been the lifeblood of Peace Child. David's oratorio Alpha Omega was the other inspiration for the Peace Child musical.

Michael and Eirwen Harbottle

Michael was an army Brigadier who became a UN Peace-keeping expert. Working with his wife Eirwen on the World Disarmament Campaign, they had the idea to put the Peace Book and Alpha Omega together and produce a “Celebration for Peace”.

David Woollcombe and Rosey Simonds

David wrote and directed the UK and USA Peace Child premieres at the Royal Albert Hall and Kennedy Centre which Rosey co-produced. Together they have run Peace Child International for the past 27 years.

UK and USA premieres & performances

London

Peace Child premiered in October 1981 at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Susannah York played the Story-teller and a chorus of children joined actors from the National Theatre, a team of dancers, the National Youth Orchestra, a rock group and the Choir of Coventry Cathedral to launch the show in spectacular fashion. Watched by two Nobel Peace Prize winners, the decision was made that Peace Child needed to be seen and experience more widely.

Washington DC

Peace Child premiered in the USA at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center in December 1982. There was a chorus of children, local theatre and gospel stars and spectacular choreography from Washington’s School of Performing Arts. The children were the stars of the show and Susannah York, again, played the Story Teller.

The Peace Child Study Guide

a basic script and musical score were published in the form of a Study Guide along with lesson plans which allowed schools/churches/synagogues to explore the issues and recreate the show for themselves. There were over 400 performances around the country between 1983 - 1989. Every time the show was similar, but never the same. Each cast of young people would rewrite it to reflect their own ideas and concerns.

Peace Child helps to end the Cold War: 1985-1989

Back in 1983 people of all ages were worried about the threat of the cold war and the nuclear stand off. We wanted this show to be done not only in the USA but across the former Soviet Union. David Woollcombe visited Russia 27 times over five years to persuade them to work with us

Space Bridge

We did a Minnesota/Moscow TV Space Bridge with Soviet and American kids who did the 1985 show together. John Denver and Vladimir Pozner hosted the 1 hour program commemorating the life of the young American Peacemaker, Samantha Smith.

1986 - 1st Soviet American Tour

After a series of adventures and unbelievable luck, Peace Child brought the first Soviet youth to the USA to participate in a joint Soviet/American production of the Peace Child show. We toured 12 cities with a group of 50 - Soviet and American youngsters and a Russian rock band.

Soviet-American Peace Child Tours: 1987 - 1994

This led to an annual series of Soviet/American youth exchanges using the musical as a vehicle for citizen diplomacy. Small towns all over the United States suddenly got to know about Russia and and established friendships with the Russians (and vice versa) as teenagers from all over the USA and USSR visited, rehearsed and performed together on over 60 tours.

Musicals around the World: from 1986

The original Peace Child musical has been re-written many times over by young people of different nations and cultures to reflect their own experiences of violence and conflict. The musical has been involved in conflict resolution efforts in Central America, Cyprus, Azerbaijan / Armenia, the former Yugoslavia, India, Northern Ireland and Israel. Peace Child Israel set up their own organisation in 1998.

City at Peace: 1988

City at Peace was developed to look at the problems that teenagers felt nearer to home in the inner cities. One American returning from a Soviet-American tour remarked that she felt it easier to make friends with people on the other side of the world than on the other side of her hometown.

Publications: from 1992

In 1992 Peace Child produced its first book - Children's State of the Planet Handbook. It came about because when a Peace Child chorus sang at the United Nations - Noel Brown of UNEP showed the group a book that had been produced for youth on the environment and asked for their opinion. They said it was boring, so he said “if you don't like it - go away and write your own” - so we did! We took the book to the Rio Earth Summit in 1982 and as a result were asked by the four UN Agencies to create a Children's Edition of Agenda 21 - written, illustrated and edited by young people. Not only children liked it. We sold half a million copies and it was translated into 23 languages. Since then were have produced over 20 books on the environment, sustainable development, human rights, activists handbooks (see e-Store)

Peace Child Headquarters, Buntingford, UK - set up in 1995

Young people re-wrote the Peace Child play; young people write and design Peace Child publications. It made sense to set up an office where young people could administer Peace Child. The accommodation block is a converted stables - designed by 19 year old Czech student. Interns come from all over the world and work, cook, clean and live together. Peace Child has had almost 200 great interns. One of the first ones is now a Trustee!

Work in Education - started in 1995

Peace Child has always been in the business of education: the musicals are a fun way to teach peace and conflict resolution. The books are all designed to be used in school. And, since 1995, Peace Child has produced Teacher Guides, lesson plans and classroom games. From 2003-08, Peace Child ran a Sustainable Development education programme for the UK Government’s Environmental Action Fund on fair trade, human rights, health, sanitation etc. These materials have been adapted by different groups in Asia, Eastern Europe, West Africa and Latin America - and many focus on peer education, like the Be the Change Challenge Ambassador Programme.

World Youth Congresses - from 1999

Peace Child organises and licences the World Youth Congress series on youth and development. Four have been organised to date - and two more are planned:for Turkey in 2010 and Mexico in 2012.
learn more in our WYC section

Be the Change! Youth-led Development Programme: from 2000

Peace Child has pioneered the concept of Youth-led Development - community improvements designed and delivered by young people under 25. Starting at the Hawaii Congress, it has supported over 300 projects in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe. They vary from installing pumps, setting up small businesses, HIV-AIDS awareness, informal education and health programmes etc. All are managed from the White House headquarters except those managed by Peace Child India set up by Jagan Deveraj, one of our first Be the Change managers.
learn more about BTC in our Be the Change! section