York St John play to be showcased at national child safety conference

A play created by York St John University theatre lecturers is to be showcased at a national NSPCC conference this week in London.

The production, by Senior Lecturers Rachel Conlon and Jules Dorey Richmond, raises awareness of child sexual abuse and exploitation through the topics of relationships, internet, gaming and family life as part of ‘Its not OK’ – a joint campaign between City of York Safeguarding Children’s Board (CYSCB) and the NSPCC.

Rachel and Jules were invited to speak at the NSPCC flagship annual conference, ‘How Safe are our Children?’ at the Royal College of Physicians on 21 and 22 June, as part of a contingent from York and North Yorkshire.

The play, funded by City of York Safeguarding Children Board, was specially created for school pupils in York following consultation with children and young people.

It aims to ensure parents, carers, children and young people, professionals and the general public know how to recognise the signs of child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, where to get help and advice, and increase confidence in saying or doing something to stop the abuse.

Performed to all year 7 pupils in schools across York, the 20-minute play follows four teenagers through their experiences of the internet, relationships, gaming and family-life. The enthusiasm from the schools in York who have participated is a reflection of their commitment to such an important issue.

The play is then followed by a drama workshop, where pupils get to explore the issues raised by the play, give the characters ‘advice’ and to find strategies in order to seek out support against sexual abuse or exploitation.

Jules Dorey Richmond, Senior Lecturer in Theatre at York St John University said: “We are delighted that our actors have been asked to perform ‘It’s Not Ok’ for all the delegates as part of the conference. In addition our workshop will disseminate the commissioned performance process and workshop evaluations that we made and delivered with our theatre alumni, which toured to every year 7 pupil within York.”

Helen Westerman, Local Campaigns Manager for the NSPCC, said: “Having the play showcased at the national NSPCC conference not only highlights the success of the wider ‘Its not OK’ campaign but also helps the production to reach a larger audience, many of whom may be interested in delivering something similar for children and young people in their area.”

Dot Evans (pictured) from the City of York Safeguarding Children Board, said:  “The success of this campaign couldn’t have happened without the support and hard work of colleagues across a wide range of agencies, including City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police, health partners and the NSPCC.”

For more information, visit: www.itsnotokay-york.org.uk