Year 7 students across the Isle of Wight will be shown how to stay safe as part of an annual event held next month.
For the fifth year running, the Stopwatch Theatre Company is visiting Isle of Wight schools between 3 – 14 March. With support from Isle of Wight Council and the Isle of Wight Children’s Fund, ‘Chicken’ is a fast, entertaining but ultimately moving story with a key safety message. The performance is followed by an interactive workshop where youngsters explore the characters motives and develop their understanding of why it is important to stand up for yourself
‘Chicken’ focuses on two friends, Chris and Tammy, who both get new bikes. One morning Chris has a puncture and Tammy agrees to walk with him. They are late and in a hurry and decide to race. Chris runs out across a busy main road and then flips open his camera phone to dare Tammy to do the same in front of a fast-approaching car.
The ever popular Chicken workshop demonstrates that in peer pressure situations, people always have a choice, and goes on to demonstrate key assertiveness techniques that may help people stick to their decision. Using these newfound skills, the audience are able to change the tragic outcome of the play.
Fourteen middle schools are taking part over the two weeks with more than 1,300 children involved. The work is one part of the Risk Education for Accident Prevention Programme which is open to all schools. It is being delivered via the Healthy Schools Programme.
