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The move from primary to secondary school can be an anxious time for many pupils, so performing arts students from the University are aiming to reassure and inspire year six (aged 10 to 11) pupils with their own scripted play.

It was premiered at Longfield Academy, Darlington to year six pupils from two of the Academy’s partnership primary schools, Northwood and Corporation Road. The play has been written by three final-year students from the University’s BA (Hons) Performance for Live and Recorded Media. Kate Hind, Kevin Eastwood and Nick Hampshire also performed their interactive play, which has a comic military theme and aims to dispel myths about the move to secondary school, showing scenarios such as bullying and the solutions. The performance combined recorded footage with live action.

Build a future reputation

The trio were approached to write the play by the University’s Recruitment team, who work with a range of secondary and pupils in the North-East and their performance will be assessed by their lecturers in the audience. They have also recently established their own theatre company title, 'HooHa! Productions' and aim to build a future reputation as a Children's and Theatre in Education (TIE) company.

Nick Hampshire, 23, from Sunbury-on-Thames, said, 'I was keen to do this as I wanted to write and perform something that has a real purpose. We’ve all lived through the move from primary to secondary school and we want to show the realities but also to motivate and show that it’s fun as well.'

Kevin Eastwood, 20, from Ponetfract, said, 'We feel so lucky to have had this opportunity. I remember worrying before I went to secondary school that I wouldn’t be smart enough to study harder maths and foreign languages. I didn’t have much awareness and hopefully this play will help raise the pupils’ awareness in a positive way.'

Katie Hind, 22, from Cobh, County Cork, said, 'We have recently completed a dress run for all of the teachers involved in our research for writing the play and their enthusiasm and excitement for their pupils to experience it has got us even more excited to perform on Tuesday! If we can give the children at Longfield Academy an enjoyable, worthwhile experience that will stay with them after we leave, we will then want to share this experience with all young people across the country!'

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