Theatre And Performance Students Help Promote Online Safety At Local High School

University theatre students show off their skills by promoting internet safety to Wrexham pupils. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Darland High School, in Rossett, welcomed Wrexham Glyndwr University’s Theatre, Television and Performance students to present a short play to demonstrate how to stay safe online. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The play, performed to 150 Year 9 pupils, focussed on raising awareness about the dangers that could possibly be exposed to young people online. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Huw Garmon, senior lecturer in Theatre, Television and Performance, said: “We were asked to help the school target online safety by Wrexham Council Youth Services as they were concerned about internet safety, and suggested we target Year 9s. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our theatre students devised the whole play themselves as part of our Community and Applied Theatre Module, which aims to get our students working out in the community and scripting a relevant performance for our area and help educate the audience. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The play worked really well and the young pupils seemed very engaged. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The course aims to expose real life situations and we believe in our students taking their work out into the community, to apply the theory they’ve learnt into the real world. The students have responded very well to this.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The performance looked at password confidentiality, gaming sites, adding strangers on social media, commenting on photos and other online dangers. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

After the short play Darland High School pupils were encouraged to ask questions to a peer education group in a workshop session about issues raised in the performance. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Les Williams, Wrexham Council’s advanced practitioner for the Wrexham Youth Service, said: “I commend Ysgol Darland, Glyndwr students and lecturers and our Peer Education Project for their collaborative efforts, which resulted in an excellent and intelligent drama looking at social media. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The students were able to create a fascinating storyline, and the attention of the Year 9 pupils at Darland was held throughout their performance. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our team of Peer Educators will evaluate the performance based on the positive feedback received, and we hope to work with Glyndwr students in creating similar events and performances in future.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Theatre, Television and Performance students also held a successful theatrical marathon play, Love and Information at the university last weekend. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​