Time to Talk
A unique and heart warming opportunity for children to realise the importance
of expressing their feelings, talking to someone they trust and supporting each
others emotional wellbeing
they had learned a lot from their questioning. The fact that it was lively and upbeat
showed children not to shy away from their feelings.”
Student Teacher, Portway Primary School, London Borough of Newham
THE PROJECT
Time to Talk is a gently humorous 35 minutes of original theatre that explores methods of dealing with a whole range of emotional situations including separation, divorce, loss and bereavement.
The projectdelivers a valuable opportunity for 9–11 year olds to realise the importance of ‘self expression’ and talking about their experiences and is the perfect complement to SEAL (Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning) work in schools.
Careful to avoid a ‘slushy’ or overly sentimental tone, Time to Talk helps young people to realise the value of emotional expression and gives them tools to help them cope in times of personal crisis. As with all Chain Reaction productions, our young audiences are encouraged to listen, learn and laugh throughout.
With pop songs, T.V. show spoofs and a moving personal drama, Time to Talk is both great fun and emotionally insightful. Expressing emotions can sometimes be seen as embarrassing or ‘uncool’ by young people, especially boys. There is a fear that their friends will laugh at them or see them as weak if they show the way they are feeling. Our opening song ‘Too Cool to Cry’ illustrates this perfectly and sets the tone for the whole show.
some complex messages in a short time. I’m sure it will be
appreciated by all the children who watch and will touch a few deeply.”
Diana Moorhouse, Senior Educational Analyst,
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
THE NEED
The introduction of ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders), escalating youth crime figures and the rise in depression and suicide amongst young people suggest the difficulties they face in expressing their emotions in an appropriate manner.
Recent government statistics suggest that one in eight adolescents has depression and that 19,000 young people attempt suicide in the UK every year (that’s one every half an hour). If they knew where to go and how to express and deal with their experiences and feelings, these situations might not escalate to such extremes.
In addition, divorce, separation or family bereavement has a huge impact on young people and they need to find ways to adapt to these life-changing experiences.
Research proves that repressing feelings can be both psychologically and physically harmful. When young people bottle up their emotions, it can lead to many negative behaviours, feeling and attitudes including anger, frustration, violence, feelings of isolation, guilt, lack of motivation and ability to concentrate, all of which can have an effect both in and out of school.
We don’t teach children how to cry, laugh and feel angry – these are natural responses but Time to Talk gives young people the confidence to let those feelings out and illustrates the positive benefits of sharing them with one another. The project takes a holistic approach to this subject by teaching children that the emotions they have are normal and that talking about things will make them feel better, before their problems spiral out of control.
THE SHOW
Katie has recently experienced a personal family loss, and her mates are left grappling with how to respond to the situation. Initially, they fire jokes at her out of embarrassment, but soon realize the cruelty of this behaviour. Their next strategy is to ignore the issue altogether and act as if nothing has happened. This proves to be equally disastrous, leaving Katie’s desperate desire to express herself with no outlet whatsoever. Finally, the girls sit down and have an open conversation about what has happened. Katie gets the chance to share her feelings, and they all get the opportunity to bond and learn from each other’s experiences.
The central storyline is punctuated with a range of comedic and engaging scenes, featuring popular TV formats, and well-known celebrities. We catch up with infamous rocker, Ozzy Osborne who is attempting to give his hysterical daughter Kelly a lesson in anger management, and masculine icon David Beckham promotes the great benefits of an all-natural remedy in an advert for a brand new product called ‘Tears’.
Time to Talk encourages its young audience to feel comfortable with their own methods of emotional expression and to empathise with their peers in a caring and non-judgmental way.
tell anyone, soon after I told my best friend . . . When I’m older I’m going to work in a theatre
group like you lot . . . I think all your shows have been great. This show did teach me something
I have been afraid to do which is cry in front of people.”
Pupil, Year 5, Henry Maynard School, London Borough of Waltham Forest
TIME TO TALK TEACHES CHILDREN…
- methods of expressing emotions
- to be empathetic
- to act compassionately towards others
- that it’s good to talk about their feelings
- that it’s okay to cry
- to think about who they would speak to if they had a problem
- to think about how they could help their friends if they have a problem
- about the importance of self expression
I should tell someone. ”
Pupil, age 11, Gascoigne Primary School,
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
AT A GLANCE…
| Show length: | 35 mins (45 mins with hot-seating session) |
| Included extras: | Teachers’ resource pack |
| Optional extras: | 1 hour workshop |
| For ages: | 9 – 11 |
| School year groups: | 5 – 6 |
| Level: | Junior |
| Curriculum links and current themes: |
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feelings. The performance showed them ways of expressing their emotions
and also how to respond to someone else.”
Ian Marsh, Class Teacher, Ben Johnson Primary School
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
See the “What’s On” box (left) to find out if this project is touring soon.
To receive a past evaluation report or to find out more get in touch.
