In September we headed to Edinburgh to hold a drug education showcase event at Trinity Academy, funded by Police Scotland. Ever since two Police Scotland officers saw TiE It Up Theatre perform Mark Wheeller’s play about Dan at a school in Edinburgh when we were touring it up there in Spring, they’ve been working really hard with us to try to get our play and drug education to schools across the country. We’d made such a promising start in Scotland back in 2019, which was all put on hold when Covid hit, so we’re really keen to get back to work.
This event was a fantastic opportunity to bring together an audience of key professionals working in Scotland to prevent drug-related harm and deaths, from police, local authorities, and charities, as well as students and staff from Trinity Academy. Following a showing of the TiE It Up Theatre film of ‘I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’, TiU producer David Chafer demonstrated the Theatre in Education workshop that follows performances, and we then heard from some leading experts about why evidence-based drug education is vital for all young people. This was to include Minister for Drugs Policy Angela Constance MSP, a huge honour – but sadly illness prevented her coming on the day – as well as Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Livingstone, Professor Betsy Thom, Emma Crawshaw, CEO of young people’s harm reduction charity Crew2000, and Sian Falconer, Pupil Support Leader at the school, who’s been using our drug education resources since we started working in Scotland in 2019. The event was covered by STV 6pm news the following day – you can see this here.
As a result of the success of the showcase, doors are opening up in all sorts of new places across Scotland, which is very exciting. There are plans for a similar event in Aberdeen when the play live tours in Scotland in Spring, again supported by the Police Scotland team there, as well as the local authority. And also an invitation to meet with the drugs minister Ms Constance.
We’re so pleased to be able to bring all our multi-component, evidence-based drug education to Scotland, to join all the hard work going on there already, and do what we can to work together to reduce the tragic numbers of drug-related deaths, and any harm to young people and families from drugs.
