Owner / Author:

'It's Jist for Protection' Drama Project

Organisation:

Voluntary Sector

Contact Details:

East End Community Arts
887 Springfield Road
Parkhead
Glasgow
G31 4HZ

Tel: 0141 554 6642
Email: www.eastendarts.co.uk

Strategy / Initiative Name:

'It's Jist for Protection' Drama Project

Local Authority(ies):

Glasgow City

Group Targeted:

Carrying of offensive weapons (knives) by young people. It was agreed that the target group would be S2 pupils and 12 Secondary schools agreed to participate, therefore the project was able to reach all areas of the city.
Crime Type / Violence Activity:

Education
Weapon Related Crime

Level(s):

Primary

Aims:

The intentions of this initiative were:

• To alert young people in Glasgow to the dangers of carrying a knife
• To educate young people about the consequences if they are caught carrying or using a knife during an assault
• To allow young people to explore these issues in a fun and entertaining way
• To afford young people the opportunity to form their own opinions and feel confident to express those opinions amongst their peers, the workshop leaders and representatives of Strathclyde Police
• To demonstrate to the young people that they are responsible for their own actions and that all actions do have consequences
• To give young people the opportunity to ask questions about the issue within a safe environment and for them to be given accurate and informed replies to those questions
• To highlight to young people how dangerous weapons are and encourage them to think about their actions in the future

Approach:

Strathclyde Police, East End Community Arts and Glasgow City Council (Education Services & DRS) joined forces to develop an interactive drama project that allows youngsters to explore the issues and consequences associated with carrying knives.

Project's Methodology:

The 'It's Jist for Protection' Drama Project was delivered to S2 students in high schools throughout Glasgow during October and November 2005 and aimed to educate young people on the serious and potentially fatal results of knife-carrying.

The drama format used for these informative and interactive workshops was "Forum Theatre". This method of drama is ideal for encouraging discussion and debate on any given issue. Along with School Campus Officers and Community Safety Officers, a group of actors performed. During the performances the main character in the play arrives at an unfortunate outcome after being caught in possession of a knife by the police.

The audience are encouraged to explore the issues raised and try to find moments during the play where the main character could have made better choices. The play is then repeated with the changes included and the outcomes explored. Results confirm to the young people that making the decision not to carry a knife will always result in a better outcome.

Each school was provided with sufficient numbers of shows to ensure that the entire role in this year attended.

Teachers were also issued with reference resource packs which included lesson plans, statistics for knife crime, further information regarding the theatre and a quiz structured around 'Who wants to be a Millionaire?'.

Schools also received posters to be displayed in prominent positions to help reinforce the dangers of knife carrying.

Other Agencies Involved:

Strathclyde Police and Glasgow City Council.

Evaluation Process:

Pupils completed evaluation questionnaires and 1663 completed forms were returned. East End Community Arts Project can provide further information if required.
Evaluation Impact:

It is accepted that within any multi-faceted strategy, projects that focus on education are always more difficult to evaluate and we must remember that the forum drama is part of a long-term strategy to change opinions regarding knife carrying and violent behaviour.

Total Schools involved 12
Total pupils involved 1830
Number of workshops delivered 26
Cost per participant £5.16

Evaluation Result:

Effective

Criticism:

None

Potential:

Interest has extended to other Local Authority areas and similar presentations are planned for Secondary schools out-with Glasgow during 2006.