Ariel has developed a series of safeguarding education resources for use by teachers within the relationship education curriculum. Our second grant from Paul Hamlyn Foundation will allow Ariel to employ a team of theatre practitioners who will continue to develop best practice, using forum theatre to deliver important parts of the Relationship Education curriculum. By sharing good practice with more than 100 primary schools on Merseyside we will embed arts-based learning as a preferred delivery method for effective Relationships Education across our region.
Independent evaluation has shown that our approach to arts-based learning delivers positive outcomes for young people. We now aim to use this approach to change the way adults communicate with children about Sex & Relationships Education; empowering children to articulate their needs and engaging adults in listening, reflecting and responding positively to what children say.
Previous funding from PHF has enabled us to engage children in creative learning; developing refusal skills, skills for bystander intervention and help seeking behaviour. Teachers are embracing this approach and are willing to actively participate in drama activities allowing children to practice asking an adult for help.
We have taken the next step by working with a number of schools developing this approach in order to engage parents. For some this has been transformative, with parents willing to acknowledge their fear and admit they don’t know how they should respond when children ask for help.
This funding will enable our theatre practitioners to build an arts-based learning partnership around a number of schools, engaging children, teachers and parents dedicated to using forum theatre to develop positive strategies that can be used in response to challenges that emerge from the SRE curriculum.
