SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT BACKS ANTI-SECTARIANISM THEATRE PROJECT TO REACH ITS BIGGEST AUDIENCE YET

7 February 2014
For immediate release

Working in close partnership with North Lanarkshire Council and with support from the Scottish Government, the Citizens Theatre Learning Team bring their successful Divided City project, based on the award-winning novel by Theresa Breslin, to the region. 10,000 young people, their teachers and families are expected to engage with the long-running project delivered by the Citizens Theatre from January 2014 –March 2015.

Explaining the project, Irene Pandolfi, Quality Improvement Officer (Expressive Arts), North Lanarkshire Council, said: “Pupils and teachers from 44 North Lanarkshire schools are taking part in theatre workshops, classroom lessons and performances based around the novel. Primary 7 classes from denominational and non-denominational schools will work together in pairs over 10 weeks rehearsing the play and undertaking additional classroom sessions exploring sectarianism and its effects on their community. 1,500 pupils from Airdrie, Bellshill, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, Motherwell, Shotts and Wishaw will perform to up to 8,000 young people and adults. A further 1,500 pupils and teachers will take part in discussions around the play and its themes via Teaching Scotland’s Glow TV. “

Parents and teachers will also be encouraged to contribute to an online discussion forum hosted by Action On Sectarianism and available online after the project ends. Teachers will also be provided with Divided City scripts and resource packs, equipping them to be able to continue to explore the issues raised in the play with their pupils and use more drama and theatre in their practice. 

Divided City explores religious tension in Scotland through a gripping tale about two Glaswegian boys, one Celtic fan, one Rangers fan, who must find their own answers in a divided world. First performed in 2011 at the Citizens Theatre, over 7,500 people, including 5,000 young people, have experienced this inspiring piece of theatre and its important message of tolerance and friendship so far. The success of the initial project in bringing together young people from across the city in the spirit of friendship, tolerance and respect that are the themes of the novel led to the project being repeated in 2012. Support from the Scottish Government enabled the project to travel to South Lanarkshire in 2013, with this new phase in the life of the production in North Lanarkshire giving the project its widest reach yet.

The production is one of a kind, as Director, Guy Hollands explains:

“Religious intolerance and sectarianism are issues that continue to affect young people in Scotland today and we believe that drama provides a unique way of exploring those conflicts. Following previous incarnations of this project, we’ve seen tangible shifts in attitudes from audiences and participants far exceeding our expectations. With this partnership with North Lanarkshire, we’re able to reach a greater number of young people and their families and communities than ever before, and provide an important platform for discussions around this important issue. In this version of our long-running project, we’re working with teachers to empower them to continue to deliver dramatic performances and tackle difficult issues in an inspiring and engaging way.” 

The Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Roseanna Cunningham, said: “I am delighted to be able to continue supporting the Citizens Theatre’s work with young people through the Divided City project.  Finding innovative ways to tackle sectarianism will help us to create the modern, sectarian-free Scotland that we all aspire to.  The key for the solution to ending the scourge of sectarianism lies in and with our communities and this is just one of the fantastic projects being delivered across the country to tackle the root causes of sectarianism in communities and ridding us of the prejudices of the past.  There is no doubt that the project will provide a stimulating and engaging interaction between pupils, teachers, parents and participating schools from across North Lanarkshire to explore sectarianism and its effects on their community.”

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact Keren Nicol, Senior Marketing & Press Officer .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 0141 418 6233.

NOTES TO EDITORS
Creative Team
Written by Theresa Breslin
Adapted by Martin Travers
Original music by Claire McKenzie
Lyrics by Martin Travers, Claire McKenzie & Theresa Breslin
Designed by Graham Sutherland
Musical Directors Claire McKenzie & Stephen Roberts  

Directors
Louise Brown
Elly Goodman
Guy Hollands
Danielle McIlven
Neil Packham
Jen Smith  

Drama Workers/ Performers    
Lisa Corr
Jill Henderson
Campbell Lawrie
Carly McCaig
Colin White

Documentary
A short documentary film about the production is available to view on the Citizens Theatre’s YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swXAFwf-Rrg

Divided City - novel
Published in 2005 by Random House Children’s Books, Divided City is a story of prejudice and friendship following two boys on and off the football pitch. It has won two major literary awards, been shortlisted for a further eight and garnered critical acclaim. In 2008, it was chosen for the Irish One Book Cross Border Community Reading Project funded by the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. Divided City has been shortlisted for 10 different children’s book awards and is studied widely by school children.

Divided City – the play
Martin Travers’ adaptation of Divided City received its world premiere at the Citizens Theatre on 25 May 2011, in a joint project between the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow City Council Education Services and Youth Music Initiative. The cast was made up of 50 Glasgow S2 pupils, two from each secondary school in the city, with the play performed to members of the public as well as to audiences of Glasgow primary and secondary school pupils. The success of the project led its repeat in Glasgow in February 2012, with support from Glasgow City Council’s Sense Over Sectarianism initiative. In August 2012, The Scottish Government recognised the important role that the Divided City project has played in challenging a generation’s attitudes to sectarianism with a substantial grant announced by Roseanna Cunningham, Government Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs towards the delivery of free ‘Challenge Prejudice’ workshops, GLOW meets and performances of the play in South Lanarkshire in February 2013. Travers’ adaptation was also performed by Northern Irish pupils in February 2013 as part of Derry-Londonderry’s City of Culture celebrations.

Theresa Breslin
Theresa Breslin is the critically acclaimed multi-award winner author of over 30 books for young people whose work has appeared on television and radio and is read world-wide in many languages. A former mobile librarian, Theresa won the Carnegie Medal for Whispers in the Graveyard, her compelling novel about a dyslexic boy, and this year won the Carnegie Medal Children’s vote. Recently one of her books set the Guinness UK record for the longest Reading Chain. In Divided City, Theresa dedicates “This book is for Glasgow.” 
Visit www.theresabreslin.co.uk or www.facebook.com/theresabreslinauthor.

The Citizens Theatre
The Citizens Theatre is an iconic venue and theatre company based in the Gorbals area of Glasgow, Scotland. The Citizens company was founded in 1943 by James Bridie and the Citizens Theatre was permanently established in 1945. Since then it has been one of Scotland’s flagship producing theatres. The Theatre has a strong reputation for delivering a pioneering range of creative participatory projects and places a special emphasis on work with children, young people and socially excluded adults.  By placing arts, culture and creativity at the heart of learning the theatre seeks to provide opportunities at the theatre and in communities and schools across Scotland, for young people and adults to engage with drama.

Funders
Scottish Government
North Lanarkshire

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