Talking about domestic violence and other social issues is never easy, despite our awareness that it is wrong and unacceptable. But Tantrum Youth Arts endeavours to make that conversation starter a little easier through theatre-in-education performances.
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“The program contributes in a positive way for our audiences. The biggest message of the whole program and performance is that there are lots of services out there for people who want to talk about these things,” Tantrum Youth Arts director Tamara Gazzard said.
Tamara and her troupe performed at the multi-purpose centre on Tuesday in front of Guyra Central School students, in a bid to get the conversation rolling.
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The New England North West region ranks in the top five hotspots for recorded incidents of domestic violence, according to the latest data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR).
Tantrum Youth Arts aims to reduce these statistics, with funding support from Greater Charitable Foundation.
The Opening Doors program aims to educate and empower school students between years nine to 12 with increased knowledge and understanding of the causes and impacts of domestic violence, and to acquaint them with the avenues of support available in their local communities.
“Opening Doors is structured in a unique way that consists of both live performance and an interactive discussion forum to engage students and instigate critical dialogue,” Ms Gazzard said.
One scene the performers explore, is the conversation about domestic violence in a family setting.
“A daughter tries to talk to her mum about the violence she sees in the home. The mother tries to make excuses and avoid the discussion. This highlights many people’s reluctance to talk about domestic violence,” Ms Gazzard said.
Following a formal application process in 2017, Guyra Central School was selected to join 18 other high schools across the state to participate in the program.
Plans are also underway to showcase the performance to students at Armidale High School later this year.