Justice in a Day


I had the opportunity to attend the Justice in a Day workshop run by Theatr Clwyd. It is a full day session which leads students/school children through a court case culminating in a visit to a local magistrates court.

The participants are able to watch, engage and participate in a narrative based on a real-life scenario. The day follows a teenage boy who gets involved with County Lines and how he then gets arrested and ends up in a young offenders unit for his crimes. Actors lead the day through their expert telling of the story. The participants were fully engaged throughout the day and were even able to watch the protagonist in court with real magistrates and PCSO’s. They played key roles adding to the impact and authenticity of the session. The aim is to prevent and discourage young people from experiencing similar; the threats of County Lines and the consequences of criminality. The young people were able to ask any questions and were able to explore the impact of the criminal behaviour of the offender. They were involved in the sentencing, debating the judgement and even interviewing the offender’s mum. They got to also investigate the impact of the crime on the wider community.

It was a brilliant day and I was pleased to experience another outreach project the theatre is involved with. Their community engagement projects have so many reaches and impacts that are really interesting to explore as part of my research. If the aim of the session only stops one young person from committing a crime, then it’s a success, leading to that person having a better life and the community as a whole benefiting.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Behind the Bricks: A Visit to York Handmade Brick Company

Image
There's something grounding about standing in a place where things are made with care, by hand, from the earth itself. My recent visit to the York Handmade Brick company was just that - a rare chance to step into a world where tradition, craft and materiality are still held in high regard. I first contacted the York Handmade Brick company when I read that they had produced bricks for the renovations at Theatr Clwyd. The architects, Haworth Tompkins, worked with them for a bespoke blend of handmade bricks which were sympathetic in colour and texture to the existing brickwork of the theatre. I reached out for some more details and Mark Laksevics, York Handmade’s senior sales manager, was incredibly gracious and invited me to come and have a tour of their brickworks. Nestled in the North Yorkshire countryside, York Handmade Bricks is known for producing bespoke, characterful bricks using time-honoured methods. The tour began with an introduction to the clay itself; dug locally, rich i...
Read more

Photo Blog of Practical Work

Image
 I thought I would post photos of my making so far: These two images show the moulds that were originally made for the tile commission. I was hoping that I may be all to tidy them up ready to be moulded, to create the mould of the moulds. After cutting the moulds and sanding them, I wasn't happy with the finish so I decided I had to make new models for the moulds. I decided on a set height and depth for all the models and then I started to prepare everything to make the model. These are the cottle boards ready for the tile and plaster. As there was an undercut on the tiles, I had to backfill the tile with clay to prepare the tile for plaster. This is the tile ready to have the plaster poured on the top. I had to repeat the process for each size tile: three times in total. These are the models before they are sanded. This is the start of the moulding process. I chose to make the smallest tile mould first. I use the coin to create notches for the plaster to lock together. I was happy...
Read more

Earth Hour at Theatr Clwyd

Image
Earth Hour started in 2007, as an hour to turn non-essential lights off and reflect on environmental issues. It is held yearly and is organised by the World Wildlife Fund. It is a global event, creating a symbolic moment of support for the planet and raises awareness of the environmental issues affecting all of us.  This year it was held on 25th March at 8.30pm. Through the Environmental Committee at Theatr Clwyd, it was decided to hold an event in the temporary bar area at the theatre. Discussions included how to power the event. It was decided that various performers would perform in the space aided by electric provided by bicycles. The committee researched the options and found a company who could provide the right amount of bikes to sufficiently power the event.  Thirteen members of staff spent the hour cycling to provide the power for the speakers, microphones, lights etc. The sound of the bikes was could be heard all evening as a low whirling. The staff were guided by a ...
Read more