College drama performance teaches school children about road safety

A collection of poignant performances about road safety are being brought to schools across Norfolk from today, thanks to a collaboration between the county council and college students.

The City College Norwich acting and production arts students will take their newly-created performance to thousands of Year 7 and Year 8 students in 15 different schools over the course of the next two weeks in a jam-packed schedule.

The performances have been targeted at this age group as they are considered to have a significantly increased risk of being involved in road accidents as they begin travelling independently.

The 45-minute play, which was devised in collaboration with Norfolk County Council, will promote safer travel to and from school and aims to help give young people the confidence to travel independently and the encouragement to walk or cycle.

The council's Road Safety team gave the students a brief containing all the relevant information about safety issues and the group of students have spent the last few months creating a suitable story, producing a script, and creating a performance including use of lighting and sound. The performance is hoped to not only provide a fantastic means of education for school children but is a taste of what life on the road with a theatre company might be like.

Important issues will be covered such as understanding how to act as a cyclist, knowing what safe behaviours are when travelling, safe behaviour as a passenger, and how to be aware as a pedestrian. The messages are hoped to be shown in such a way that the pupils will relate to with interactive, visual, humorous, and honest portrayals.

Cllr John Fisher, Cabinet Member for Children's Services said: "This project is a fantastic way to engage school children in day-to-day awareness of road safety. It's so important to support children to travel independently in a safe way, and these performances will really bring to life how risks and dangers can be avoided.
"Not only will the college students be gaining some valuable work experience, but they'll be providing an important service to school children in Norfolk".

Guy Parkinson, FE Lead for Quality and Head of Creative, Production and Performing Arts, City College Norwich, said: "Our acting students have engaged brilliantly with the brief to create a really impactful performance.

"This production has helped our students to think more deeply about the issues young people should consider when travelling independently - and the feedback from the first performances in schools has been extremely positive.

"In addition, this production is providing invaluable work experience for our performing and production arts students."

The group is currently working towards their University of the Arts London (UAL) Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing and Production Arts.
After the success of a similar scheme in 2020, City College Norwich hopes to work with another four colleges in the county next year, replicating the tour and performing in more schools with the hope to make this project a sustainable intervention.

The performance will be taking place at the following schools:

• Monday 14 March - City of Norwich School
• Tuesday 15 March - Ormiston Victory Academy and North Walsham High School
• Wednesday 16 March - Downham Market Academy
• Thursday 17 March - Framlingham Earl High School
• Friday 18 March - Caister Academy and Reepham High School
• Monday 21 March - Marshland High School and Neatherd High School
• Tuesday 22 March - All Saints School, Lessingham
• Wednesday 23 March - Broadland High School
• Thursday 24 March - Wymondham College and Archbishop Sancroft High School
• Friday 25 March - Hellesdon High School and Wayland Academy

Notes to Editors

Media are invited to attend a performance on Thursday 17 March at The Platform Theatre, Norfolk Building, City College, Ipswich Road. The performance starts at 7.30pm (please ensure you arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of the production) and finishes at 8.15pm. There will be free parking in the student car park at City College, please use the Southwell entrance.

Journalists/photographers who wish to attend should email richard.steer@ccn.ac.uk at City College Norwich.