For the third consecutive year, the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus, with the support of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, has been carrying out the educational programme “The Third Bell or Theatre with a Difference”, aiming to actively enhance students’ engagement with creative extracurricular activities.

The programme consciously integrates the fields of theatre and education into the classroom and into a professional theatrical stage. Theatrical teaching, under the guidance of young directors and people from the theatre, encourages students to develop their relationship with reading, writing and the ability to discuss and collaborate with each other.

During the 3rd cycle of the programme, a particular emphasis was placed on the theatrical text. Students of junior high schools and high schools of the greater Piraeus area, collaborated with directors to write a text, which was then used to ''build'' a theatrical performance. The children undertook rehearsals, made costumes and scenery and finally presented their school performance on the central stage of the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus.

The schools that participated in the programme and the performances presented in April 2018 were as follows:

1. 2nd General Lyceum of Perama – “Repartee”, a work of the students;
2. Zanneio Experimental General Lyceum of Piraeus – “Antigone’s Matchmaking”, by Vasilis Ziogas;
3. 3rd General Lyceum of Keratsini – “Area K 3434”, a work of the students;
4. 3rd Gymnasium of Nikaia – “Girl with a Suitcase”, a work of the students based on the story of the theatrical work “Boy with a Suitcase” by Mike Kenny;
5. 1st Gymnasium of Piraeus – “Everything I haven’t told you…”, a work of the students;
6. Ionidios Model Gymnasium of Piraeus – “What is This Thing Called Love?”, a work of the students. The title comes from Isaac Asimov’s science fiction short story.

• 109 students, 7 teachers and 6 directors took part in the programme during the 2017 – 2018 school year.