Theatre group bring safety messages alive
Devon and Cornwall Police and Devon County Council have joined forces with the Solomon Theatre Company to deliver safety workshops to teenagers about rape and child sexual exploitation.
National theatre group Solomon having been visiting schools across Devon and Cornwall throughout February and March using their drama ‘Last Orders’ to bring personal safety issues to life.
The hard-hitting scenarios are based on true stories such as teenagers binge drinking and being caught up in unhealthy relationships and exploitation, both on online and in person.
Working with teenagers from Year 9 upwards the theatre company uses ‘hot seating’ and ‘forum’ workshop techniques to draw the attention of students to the potential dangers they may face growing up. The workshops explore the subjects of grooming and older men targeting younger girls and boys and will raise awareness of what constitutes consensual sex.
Members of the theatre group have been working with Devon and Cornwall Police to incorporate safety messages from the Force’s #noblurredlines anti-rape campaign together with alcohol abuse and the consequences.
Reported incidences of sexual offences in the younger communities are increasing across the south west. The aim of the workshops is to help to prevent and reduce crime, improve community safety and awareness and promote healthy relationships and lifestyles among young people.
Gill Taylor teacher at Ivybridge Community College, said: “The Solomon performances were a wonderful theatrical performance, which was highly engaging and students were gripped from the start because of its humorous portrayal. However the true message of :teenage safety was clearly highlighted and students were found to be actively discussing this afterwards. This is always a great sign of a performance’s impact. I would thoroughly recommend this to any school who places the health, safety and welfare of its students at the forefront of everything they do.”
Solomon give out #noblurredlines wristbands and bookmarks with NSPCC, Childline and police contacts for teenagers to seek further advice and support on the issues raised.
Detective Chief Inspector Brett Mitchell, from the Force Public Protection Unit, said: “We hope that by presenting safety messages to young people through drama and workshops in their school environment, pupils will absorb and retain essential information about their personal and online safety. It is also a great way of reinforcing our #noblurredlines campaign messages to a younger audience. We hope this will aid prevention and reduction of rape and child exploitation offences.”
Forest Paget, Director of the Solomon Theatre Company, added: "Alcohol blurs the lines. It changes perception and affects judgment so when consumed in a social situation it can lead to 'over stepping the line'. By presenting the #noblurredlines campaign within our youth workshops we reinforce that sex without consent is illegal. We also illustrate how alcohol, amongst other things, can also be used for grooming vulnerable young people.”
Further help and advice about the issues raised at the workshops can be found on the Devon and Cornwall Police website: http://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/crime-prevention/your-visit/student-...
To contact the police for an emergency call 999, or 101 in a non-emergency
NSPCC 0808 800 5000, Childline 0800 1111
