This unique theatre performance, ‘Balisong’, designed for schools by young performers, empowers young people to stand up, speak out and get help if a friend or classmate is carrying a knife.
The play charts the journey of three friends through the final weeks of school. They’re facing a dilemma. What should they do now that one of their friends has started carrying a knife?
It will be performed in 95 schools across every local authority in Scotland, and is set to reach 25,000 young people over the next six months.
The project builds on the success of the first ‘Balisong’ play and tour last year, which was performed in 17 councils to 12,200 pupils.
The schools tour has also been shortlisted for the Herald Society Awards 2018 under the Partnership Award category for the work in partnership between NKBL, Fast Forward and Strange Town.
The play has been created using a peer-theatre approach. This approach engages directly with young people’s ideas, opinions and experiences of knife crime and uses their daily experience as the catalyst and inspiration for the story. This approach ensures the project is led by young people, for young people.
Along with the play, a post-performance workshop will draw out key themes from the play and ask the audience to reflect on the central question: what would you do if someone you knew was carrying a knife?
To develop the schools tour further, No Knives, Better Lives (NKBL) has developed a new lesson plan for secondary schools based on ‘Balisong’. Through the resource, young people will understand why it is important to do something if they know that someone else is carrying a knife. The resource will be given to each school on the tour and is also available to download for free via the NKBL website.
Justice Secretary, Humza Yousaf MSP, said: “I am pleased to say the Scottish Government is providing an additional £25,000 to YouthLink Scotland this year to ensure that ‘Balisong’ will be seen in every local authority throughout 2018/19, including a showing in HMYOI Polmont.”
Emily Beever, National Co-ordinator for NKBL at YouthLink Scotland commented: “In the last decade, the level of knife crime in Scotland has drastically reduced, but one incident is still one too many.
“Work with young people is key to continuing to prevent knife crime. ‘Balisong’ has given us an exciting new way to talk to all young people about their role in preventing knife carrying through peer support. The feedback has shown that already more than 12,000 young people will think twice before picking up a knife.”
Alastair MacKinnon, Chief Executive at Fast Forward said: “There has been a tremendous reaction from young people and teachers in all of the schools that we have toured to so far.
“Creative partnership has been at the forefront of this project, and we are delighted to see how it is paying off in the response of young people to this powerful play.”
Councillor Fiona Campbell, East Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Skills and Learning added: “Watching how pupils reacted to Balisong and listening to their feedback afterwards, it is absolutely clear this vital message has been delivered – and understood – in a creative, engaging and most comprehensive way.”
The touring play ‘Balisong’ is a No Knives Better Lives project. Produced by Fast Forward in association with YouthLink Scotland, the national agency for youth work. It has been written by Jennifer Adam and directed by Steve Small of Strange Town.
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