Our team works in school with a group of pupils once a week, over one or two terms, devising a new piece of theatre which reflects the preferences and opinions of the young people involved.  Participants are encouraged to develop particular areas of interest, such as writing, performing, or directing. These projects culminate in the performance in the school of the new play created.

Past Create projects have been in Boroughmuir High and St George's.  At Boroughmuir, Strange Town worked with S5 pupils in the autumn term and S6 in the spring.  During each term the sessions took place as part of the Curriculum for Excellence - Rich Tasks and were funded by the Enterprise in Education scheme. At St George's Strange Town worked with pupils from S3-S6 over two terms and the play created and performed by the group focused on pressures surrounding young people, including bullying, particularly concentrating on situations faced by teenage girls.  In both schools the groups worked hard devising their own material which was then shaped and edited by Strange Town to arrive at a finished script.

The Create projects are an exciting challenge - producing a piece of theatre in very limited time periods, whilst giving young people the chance to work with professionals in the field of theatre.  The strengths of each group are always demonstrated and the young people's confidence and skills are developed - both drama skills and those of teamwork, communication and creativity.

"I think that it is a terrific idea for pupils to work with an outside agency who do not know them and have to get them to gel and produce something with tight time constraints.  This is a good preparation for work beyond school.  We increasingly live in a business world which expects staff to address such criteria and so your project is of great benefit to them.  I thought that you got a great deal out of our pupils."     

Janie McGill, Head of Drama, Boroughmuir High

We are currently taking bookings for Create projects with schools in Edinburgh.  If you are interested in having this project in your school, please email Ruth Hollyman or Steve Small at info@strangetown.org.uk

Strange Town is building a repertoire of new plays focusing on issues surrounding Personal, Social and Health Education which can be toured to schools in conjunction with follow-up workshops.  'One Thing Leads to Another' is about teenage sexual health and relationships, and plays currently in development cover subjects such as alcohol, homophobia, bullying and wilful fire raising.  If you are interested in finding out more about these plays, please email us at info@strangetown.org.uk