Project aim
A year-long series of community drama workshops and street performances raising awareness of the 10-13000 victims of slavery in the UK today
About the project
The Basics
Tzedakah Theatre are a new Bath-based theatre company aiming to inspire, educate, and challenge a generation who aren’t afraid to stand against injustice. We aim to tackle issues of social injustice by raising awareness through community drama workshops, street performances, and short dramatic videos.
The Project
Our project, ‘From the Ashes’, aims to raise awareness of the rapidly-increasing issue of human trafficking in the UK, shed hope on this issue, and inspire people to get involved and make a difference. We believe that drama holds the power to make people sit up and listen, and to speak up against these injustices, so we use three main methods to achieve our aims: a series of drama workshops using the framework of Augusto Boal’s ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’ in various community settings such as schools and charity groups; a series of dramatic videos to create wider awareness through social media and YouTube; street performances which share the real stories of survivors of human trafficking in the UK.
Why This Project?
In 2014, The Walk Free Foundation reported that there are more than 35 million people around the world trapped in a modern form of slavery, with an estimated 10-13,000 of these in the UK, yet this issue is still not widely known in our society. This year, we have led 7 pilot workshops in colleges, universities, and theatre groups. Through anonymous surveys, we have discovered that all of our participants have learnt something new about this issue within these workshops, with 89% of participants noting that their knowledge of this issue vastly increased. This is why we believe what we are doing is necessary and valuable.
Finances
With the money invested through Crowdfunder, we will be able to provide the necessary resources for our workshops and performances, including props, costumes, and stationery, and fund the travel to and from workshops and performance locations. It will enable us to provide rewards for those who dedicate their time and skills to help our work such as actors, composers, and film-makers, and would also contribute to essential training workshops and courses to develop our own skills in theatre, business, and awareness of the cause.
The Team
Krissy Penton and Mykel Elledge began working together during their time studying at Bath Spa University and together founded Tzedakah Theatre in September 2014. They are both keen actors and directors with a vision to use theatre for impactful change in society. Krissy has grounded this passion in expert knowledge and understanding through training on the issue of human trafficking and experience utilising drama in vulnerable communities in both South Africa and Nicaragua. Mykel has had the opportunity to use drama to benefit the community around him in numerous settings including schools in Zambia and summer camps in Italy, as well as gaining experience as a director in venues such as the Bristol Old Vic.