The term, ‘drama’ comes from a Greek word meaning “action”: “to do” or “to act”. Drama is often a powerful way to raise awareness of sensitive social issues in a non-threatening way.
Spectacle Theatre worked with families, adults, children and teachers to co-produce a piece of interactive theatre based upon the experiences of young people to explore cyber-bullying and online sexual harassment with families, adult groups, children and teachers. Special is based around two central characters: one an eleven year old girl who is a witness to a bullying incident, the other a fifty year old man with special needs, whose mother is in hospital so he is being cared for by his sister.
During anti-bullying week, and inspired by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ ‘Sam’s Story: Listening to children’s experiences of bullying in Wales’, children planned and performed a role play drama. Each role play demonstrated some of the key behaviours children had discussed to explore bullying behaviours. Find out more about what a rights-respecting whole school approach to healthy relationships looks like using Sam’s Story here.
Watch the trailer for My Normal Life, a drama co-created with young people which looks at violence against women and girls (VAWG), female genital mutilation (FGM) and the struggle to find your own identity.
For more ideas and information on working with theatre and the arts to prevent violence through the promotion of healthy relationships, see Tender’s Bridge Project. Tender is a charity that works with thousands of young people every year to help prevent and address abusive relationships.
To find out more about drama and theatre for young people visit the National Youth Theatre website.
For more information on sex, relationships and disability, see www.scope.org.uk.
Read further advice and support on cyber-sexual harassment.
