Boy X - the third play in The Stereo Trilogy
Boy X by Clifford Oliver, directed by Carole Pluckrose
Four boys stand at a graveside. Boy X is dead. Another 16-year old murdered. The cycle of revenge begins again.
Arc's hard-hitting new play Boy X - the third in the powerful Stereo Trilogy by Clifford Oliver - is performing for school, college and adult audiences throughout 2010.
Newsflash:
Boy X anti-weapon crime performance and workshop programme is now booking for London Week of Peace in September 2010. Barking & Dagenham Secondary Schools are eligible for an exclusive 50% discount on a one-day programme, with funding support from Barking & Dagenham Partnership. Places are limited - call 020 8594 1095 now to book!
Following Arc's groundbreaking performances of Boy X at Waterloo Station as part of London Week of Peace 2009, Superintendent Jim Little of British Transport Police said: "Weapon-related crime, although rare on public transport, affects both victims' families and their communities and that is why we have a duty both to the victims and the public to take a tough approach to those who are caught carrying knives and to protect the vast majority of people who don't."
Read about Arc's part in the British Transport Police TKAP Community Engagement and Education
Scheme with Millwall Football Club:
TKAP Bulletin Issue 3 (published 25 November 2009) (PDF, 165kb)
You can find out more about
the tackling knives and serious youth violence action programme (TKAP)
in the Home Office Press notice on the roll-out of the Knife Crime Prevention Programme to nearly 100 Youth Offending Teams in TKAP areas:
http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/press-releases/course-shows-dangers-knifecrime
About Boy X
Boy X builds on the themes of Stereo and To Die For, exploring weapon-carrying, gang culture and violent crime. The play is performed by four of Arc's dynamic young actors who, along with actor Troy Glasgow, helped develop the story through workshops drawing upon real experiences of living on gang dominated estates. The play is followed by a lively discussion where young people are offered a safe forum to talk about their feelings, fears and the complex pressures they experience.
Boy X with actors Jordan Barrett, Michael Kofi, Lee Vassell and Tendayi Jembere
Images by Katie Snooks
Lee Vassell and Tendayi Jembere in dialogue with the audience
Boy X was first performed on 17 February 2009 at EC1 Music Project in partnership with The Flavasum Trust, in memory of Tom Easton who was stabbed to death after leaving work there in September 2006. For more information, visit The Flavasum Trust.
The play has gone on to tour secondary schools in Barnet, perform at Government and youth conferences and as part of Arc's special Neville Lawrence OBE Patron event. Touring London for Peace Week in September 2009, performances included unique public events at Jacksons Lane Theatre and on Waterloo Station Concourse. Tours to Hackney, Thames Valley, Enfield, Ealing and other London Boroughs continue into 2010.
“The storyline of the play was extremely relevant to the lives of the young people.”
Head of Year 10, St Mary's CE High School, Barnet
“People think you are more protected if you have a knife, but you're not - it just brings you more trouble.”
Year 9 student, Hounslow school
"I was privileged to be in the audience last evening and to experience such a powerful drama, performed by four compelling young men. I really hope that engaging with our young people at risk through such drama, complemented by the standing up of good role models, in homes, wider families, and the community, will see a way out of the descending spiral of senseless activity, violence and killing."
Robin Field-Smith MBE, HM Inspector of Constabulary (Personnel, Training & Diversity), HM Inspectorate of Constabulary
To book Boy X
The performance with follow-up discussion is available for booking now. To find out more, call Arc on 020 8594 1095 or download the Briefing Document.
Download full Boy X Briefing Document (PDF, 194k)
About The Stereo Trilogy
72 young people aged 10 to 19 were murdered with a knife in the UK in 2008; 29 in London alone. Many of them were caught in complex gang and postcode warfare, whilst others got accidentally caught in the crossfire.
The Stereo Trilogy is a powerful series of plays for 12 to 18-year olds, which meets the issues head on and encourages serious debate with young people about their fears, aspirations and solutions.
Stereo
A group of young, black men, in hoodies, on the corner of the street. Stereotypes are dangerous things; they reflect our secret prejudices. If we do not challenge them they can erupt as discrimination at any moment.
To Die For isn't set in a knife-crime hot spot. It's a play about ordinary young people and the choices they make to carry a knife, the impact of their actions and the need to be 'cool'.
Boy X
Four boys stand at a graveside. Boy X is dead. Another 16-year old murdered. The cycle of revenge begins again. Boy X was developed by Clifford Oliver and Carole Pluckrose with Jordan Barrett, Troy Glasgow, Tendayi Jembere and Lee Vassell, and draws upon real experiences of living on gang dominated estates.
