The 2Engage performing arts group attended the North West office to deliver their hard hitting and thought provoking 'Risking It All' performance to a group of young people and foster parents.
Within the performance, the actors would pause the show and ask for comments, feedback and ideas from the audience, provoking discussion on some of the identified risks for the characters. This intervention allows the audience to decide the fate of the characters and what consequences they will face.
Both the actors and audience constantly engaged with one another discussing the issues of sexting, under age drinking, substance misuse, inappropriate relationships, social media dangers to absconding and CSE. The discussion flowed and both, foster parents and young people, were keen to give their opinions and suggest consequences and possible outcomes for the scenarios.
After the performance, two forum groups were held for both young people and foster parents to discuss what they had seen and to voice their own comments and thoughts about it.
Foster Parents and young people found the interactive performance a powerful and effective method of raising awareness of CSE.
Johnson Shebioba, a By the Bridge Link Worker, who organised the event commented:
"The performance received very positive feedback from both young people and foster parents. Getting young people to participate in discussions around CSE is usually very difficult, but using drama was a great way to generate discussion and remind young people of the dangers in a way that they can relate to"
More information about 2 Engage can be found at http://www.2engage.co.uk/