Theatre / Mandala Theatre
Hard-hitting theatre on the impact of school exclusions
Statistics from The Difference charity reveal that in the UK, one in 200 children (half a per cent) is excluded from school, whereas 50 per cent of people currently serving time in prison were excluded from school. Of those numbers, the vast majority are in England; at over 97 per cent.
Exploring the links between education, exclusion, gang grooming and prison, Oxford-based Mandala Theatre are now bringing their visceral and unflinching production Though This Be Madness to the Olympus Theatre at The Bristol Institute of Performing Arts on November 4-5.
Written by Avaes Mohammad and directed by Yasmin Sidwha, the production shines a light on the lived experience of young people, and asks ultimately whether we can change the story on school exclusion and prison.
is needed now More than ever
“I hope that Though This Be Madness will move, inspire and ask people to challenge the fact that in 2017/2018 only five young people in Scotland were permanently excluded from school, compared to 7,000 in England over the same period,” notes Sidwha, who warns of the likelihood of further rises following the pandemic.
“At a time when school exclusion has been so severely disrupted by COVID-10 lockdowns and restrictions, there has to be a major concern about a generation of young people likely to face exclusion.”
Mandala Theatre employs, trains and mentors actors and performers drawn from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds – in many cases from the very same settings most affected by exclusion – bringing their perspectives to bear on the work they develop.
Giving voice to new stories and experiences, Mandala aims ‘to connect people, and influence social, policy and system change’.
Tachia and the knife – photo: Mandala Theatre
The production has also been influenced by work from the Excluded Lives Research Group at The University of Oxford’s Department of Education, who were a partner on the project, and have helped to highlight the effects of trauma on young people who have experience exclusion.
Dr Ian Thompson, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Oxford has been involved in the research: “School exclusions can have serious consequences for affected pupils in terms of academic achievement, well-being, mental health, and future prospects,” he states.
“However, the exclusion of young people also has long and short-term economic and social consequences for the whole of our society and this should concern us all.”
Though This Be Madness will be at The Olympus Theatre, Bristol Institute of Performing Arts, Bristol, BS34 8LP as part of a national tour, on Thursday, November 4 and Friday, November 5 at 7.30pm, with an extra performance at 1.30pm on the Friday. Tickets are available at www.thebipa.org.uk.
Main photo: Mandala Theatre
Read more: Performance company for young people comes to Easton
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