Arc news: December 2018

Arc Awarded Home Office Counter Extremism Funding

Introducing Unlimited - Arc's exciting new, educational multi-media project for primary children in Barking & Dagenham schools - designed to help counter hate and extremism and build a stronger community as part of the Home Office 'Building a Stronger Britain Together' programme.

The Building a Stronger Britain Together (BSBT) programme supports civil society and community organisations who work to create more resilient communities, stand up to extremism in all its forms and offer vulnerable individuals a positive alternative, regardless of race, faith, sexuality, age and gender.

Arc's Unlimited programme, which is coming to Year 5 and 6 children and their teachers in 2019, will use a dynamic combination of live, interactive theatre, films and quizzes to raise awareness of hate crime, extremism (in all its guises), fake news, propaganda and negative perceptions and beliefs, and promote counter narratives using increased critical thinking skills.

The aims of Unlimited will be to:

• Improve critical thinking/cognitive skills by supporting children to develop new and counter narratives to challenge extremism on a vareity of issues, e.g. Islamic extremism, far right, Violence Against Women and Girls, misogyny, LGBT,

• Improve resilience to hate and extremism,

• Promote shared British Values, including mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs,

• Increase feelings of unity in diversity, and positive attitudes and beliefs around difference in the Borough,

• Strengthen understanding of technology and how it works for and against users.

In the safe, inclusive and familiar environment of their school, Unlimited will enable pupils to practice critical thinking skills, and, through active discussion in response to proactive live theatre, encourage them to explore and recognise extremism and increase their empathy and understanding of people from different backgrounds.

We're looking forward to bringing you more news about Unlimited in the New Year! Watch this space!