A drama practitioner from The Play House works with a group of young people of similar ages from either primary or secondary school. Each group takes part in a series of 7 participatory drama workshops exploring the themes around gangs, community cohesion and/or anti-social behaviour. Sessions last between 1 and 1.5 hours. Sessions are normally after school or Saturday mornings, but could run as part of the school day.

The culmination of the project is decided in consultation with the participants, but has often included a performance, a sharing or a presentation. The project includes a written evaluation of the project, drawing together evidence from all of the workshops.

This structure has been used successfully on many occasions. The same model with different stimulus materials could be used to tackle subjects such as self-esteem, peer pressure, transition, etc, although some more difficult subjects (such as Cyberbullying, below) are best tackled with 2 practitioners.

Project Aims & Outcomes

The aim of the project varies slightly depending on the exact focus of the sessions. The workshops looking at gangs, for example, are designed to enable young people to have a greater degree of self-determination in relation to gangs through a series of stimulating and engaging drama workshops. The project will

• examine and challenge young people’s attitudes towards gang culture
• enable young people to consider and practice skills in managing difficult situations
• allow young people to actively participate to acquire skills in drama and group work