The world premiere of The Glass Will Shatter at the Omnibus Theatre will explore the consequences of the government’s Prevent strategy on the quality of education in the UK today.
Opening this week (21st January 2020), this thrilling and powerful piece interrogates faith, belonging and polarisation within the school system.
Rebecca still has nightmares about Amina and the unnerving events that unfolded in her classroom. Or is it Amina that still has nightmares? Years later, one of them decides it’s time to meet again. At the school where Amina learned and Rebecca taught, an irreversible sequence of choices lead to an unexpected end, changing the course of both of their lives.
The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 placed a duty on all schools to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism. Prevent looks to build resistance to radicalisation in children, teaches Fundamental British Values, and also places the responsibility on teachers to pick up, report and follow up on comments made and questions asked that inspire concern over links to terrorism.
The Glass Will Shatter was written by Joe Marsh in response to his first-hand experience of teaching in an East London school under the shadow of Prevent; in a classroom of children unsure of what they were allowed and not allowed to say. The story of the play is imagined: the reality of the many high-profile cases of the misapplication of the strategy is not.
Exacerbating this is the burgeoning teaching crisis. As underfunded schools are increasingly reliant upon ever-more autonomous trainee teachers, many of whom lack long-term involvement with schools, it not only increases the likelihood of the mismanagement of the delicate issues that arise from the demands of Prevent, but creates a lack of trust between student and teacher.
This production starts a conversation about the role of faith and cultural identities in a school environment, and makes sure that this conversation is inclusive and accessible to a diverse range of voices.
When: 21st January – 8th February 2020
Where: Omnibus Theatre, 1 Clapham Common Northside, London SW4 0QW
£: Tickets cost £10 – £16 (Suitable for ages 14+)
More info: www.omnibus-clapham.org
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