[C]entral Academy will host the theatre production ‘Chelsea’s Choice’ for its year 9 students on Thursday 18 May.
‘Chelsea’s Choice’ is a hard-hitting, 40 minute long Applied Theatre Production that has proven highly successful in raising awareness amongst young people of the issues surrounding Child Sexual Exploitation. The play is followed by a plenary session exploring the issues raised in the play.
The show has been running a number of years and has been seen by hundreds of professionals and over 480,000 young people throughout the UK.
The workshop covers key personal and social education, including: What makes a healthy / unhealthy relationship? What is safer internet use / sexting? What is consent? What is the grooming process and child sexual exploitation? Where should young people go for help and advice?
Central Academy teacher Donna Knox said: “We informed parents in advance about the workshop as we knew it would be ‘hard-hitting’, and students may have questions after. The production is supported by Cumbria Local Safeguarding Children Board and the Police and Crime Commissioner, who have made sure the appropriate care is in place should any of the students wish to discuss the issues in the play afterwards. Students will definitely learn from the experience. The event has raised awareness about current issues that could potentially affect any of our students.”
Sheila Taylor, National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People said: “‘Chelsea’s Choice’ is an innovative and powerful production highlighting the very serious and emotional issue of child sexual exploitation. The production shows how young people, boys and girls, are groomed by adults for the purposes of sexual exploitation using various methods, ensnaring young people and eventually taking complete control and dominating their whole lives. The audience will gain a better understanding of the devastating impact that sexual exploitation has on a young person’s life. This is a very useful and innovative way of raising awareness of the issues relating to sexual exploitation and reaching young people, giving them some skills and knowledge to be able to protect themselves from this form of abuse.”
