Arc news: June 2015

FGM training for Newham schools now booking

Funding from the London Borough of Newham has enabled Arc in partnership with Manor Gardens - the healthy communities charity, to offer FREE Female Genital Mutilation awareness training for staff, and accompanying interactive drama workshops for KS3 students in selected Newham secondary schools, for a limited time this autumn/winter.

Running from September to December ‘15, this specially devised new training package including No More Whispers drama workshops will raise awareness of the issues surrounding FGM, helping students, teachers and school staff explore the practice and its consequences within the context of human rights and violence against woman and girls. 
 
We are able to offer a limited number of schools the following two-part package:

Part One: Teacher/Staff INSET: Manor Gardens’ expert facilitator will visit schools to deliver one 60 to 120-minute multi-media introduction to FGM for adults, focusing on Child Protection / Safeguarding  (including identifying at-risk or affected girls and how to support them), the social-cultural context of the practice, its impact on health and wellbeing and the relevant UK law and guidelines.   

Part Two: KS3 Student Drama Workshops: Arc will follow up the adult INSET at a later date with a day of workshops in school for Years 7, 8 and 9, using interactive Forum Theatre as a compelling engagement tool.  Devised and delivered by Arc’s highly-skilled facilitators and trained actors, No More Whispers tells the story of three students exploring which PSHE issue to use as the focus of their social media campaign.  The audience must interact with the characters so that they can investigate FGM as an option, to learn about the subject, why it happens, how it affects young people, and to help them reach a conclusion.  Young people will be encouraged to share their learning with their peers and raise awareness of the issues, helping others to understand the implications and consequences and challenge it as an illegal practice.  Arc can deliver up to three 60-minute sessions (in one school per day), for up to 100 students per session.

Places are now available for booking on a first-come, first-served basis - please contact Nita Bocking or Theresa Snooks at Arc on 020 8595 8509 or email nita@arctheatre.com or theresa@arctheatre.com.