Raising Awareness around Child Criminal Exploitation
Narrative Alchemy were commissioned by Norfolk Constabulary to develop an Applied Theatre play to raise awareness around Child Criminal Exploitation – specifically the strand of the County Lines drug trafficking model that sees vulnerable adults and young people targeted by organised groups and gangs to groom, trick, trap and manipulate them into trafficking drugs and sometimes weapons.
Meet Dex. He’s a nice guy. He’ll offer you money. He’ll offer you drugs. He’ll be generous. He’ll make you feel important. He’ll make you feel part of something. He’ll make your life exciting. He’ll do whatever it takes to get you working for him and his mates… and when you do…
Meet Dex. He’s a scary guy. He’ll say you owe him money. He’ll make you deal drugs and move packages. He’ll blackmail you. He’ll be violent. He’ll make you feel terrified. He’ll turn your life upside down. He’ll do whatever it takes to keep you working for him and his mates…
And he’s good at it. He knows he’ll get you because he knows you’ll make bad decisions… bad choices. Dex runs the County Lines.
Just watched the amazing AlterEgo perform their County Lines drama. The performance was excellent!
School Improvement Officer, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
The play has proved highly effective in raising awareness around:-
- What is County Lines and how can it affect young people
- The Grooming Process and how it can apply to County Lines
- The similarities and potential crossovers between Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
- Where to go for help & advice
For adult audiences it also:-
- Raises Awareness of ‘The Warning Signs of CCE’
- Raises Awareness of the coercive process that young people may have been through that has resulted in them being criminally exploited – a process that can all too easily make it seem as though they have ‘made their own choices’.
Project Information
Running Time 55 minutes including post-show talk
Get In 1 hr
Get Out 30 mins
Cast Size 3
Performance Space 4m x 4m
Staging Ground Level – End On
We can perform the play for intimate audiences or to entire year groups at a time. All we need is a performance space roughly 4m x 4m and somewhere to plug in our sound system. The cast do not use mics so performance venues must be suitable for unamplified voices. The cast aim to arrive one hour before the show start time to set up and take about 30 minutes to pack down.
Target Audience
- Young People (year 7+)
- FE colleges
- Parents, carers, teachers & professionals working with young people
Available Sept ’23 to July ’24
Costs for academic year Sept 2023 to July 2024
- £650+vat per show (AM or PM slots available)
- Or you can book the whole day for £1200+vat and have up to 3 x performances in the day
Narrative Alchemy
Narrative Alchemy is one of the leading Applied Theatre & Film production companies in the UK. Our primary focus is creating positive change through the art of storytelling.
Our team collaborates with various organisations, including schools, colleges, charities, government bodies, the NHS, and private companies, to develop and deliver impactful productions. We explore topics such as safeguarding, cultural health, wellbeing, and social issues.
Our portfolio of work includes projects on child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation, domestic abuse & coercive control, radicalisation & extremism, hate crime, knife crime, sexism & sexist behaviours, emotional resilience, internet safety, and diversity. By raising awareness and initiating conversations around these issues, we hope to contribute towards a better world.
Booking
To book or for further assistance, please call 0161 236 1448 to talk to our friendly team. Alternatively, fill in the enquiry form below and we’ll get back to you with availability in your area…