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We are pleased to share the story of how #BeeWell has inspired an innovative youth-led play, The Wall.
Written and performed by the young people of Light UP Shirley Ensemble, with Executive Director Courtney Fayle, this hard-hitting play will be previewed in Southampton on 30 November. Tickets can be booked here.
After a sudden and tragic event at their school an
unlikely group of friends rallies together to find
themselves, each other and a way over the wall.
Inspired by local #BeeWell findings combined with personal experiences, The Wall addresses themes of peer support, bullying, isolation and suicide.
The Wall is the successful output of a year-long collaboration with #BeeWell, aimed at putting the data in young people’s hands to interrogate and explore creatively. The first stage of the project primarily focused on understanding #BeeWell, developing the necessary skills needed to understand the data and to empower the group to respond through discussion and creative prompts. These responses were fed back to the #BeeWell over several months of activities while behind the scenes, all our work began to subconsciously seep into the beginnings of what would eventually become our script.
The project encouraged discussion about the struggles young people of Southampton are experiencing around mental health and wellbeing. As well as creating the piece, the group have been using drama as a therapeutic tool to improve confidence, social skills and general wellbeing.
Watch the project intro video:
The Wall is a patchwork of original poems, monologues, devised company scenes and movement pieces all woven together to build a relatable story about the challenges we all face as young people and as a society and how together we can make small steps to make a difference if we communicate with kindness and empathy.
The opening performance of The Wall will be attended by a VIP audience of young people and partners who will be able to provide feedback and help shape the final version, before the ensemble take it to the next exciting stage of its journey!
