Ally Comes to Cumbria

This week, Cumbria County Council's Local Education Service is delighted to announce the arrival of 'Ally Comes to Cumbria'. 'Ally Comes to Cumbria' is a specially commissioned piece of Forum Theatre for Primary & Secondary Schools and aims to raise awareness of racism. 

The theatre piece tells the story of Ally who arrives from Manchester to start at a new school in Cumbria. Ally is black and has to face a range of reactions from pupils and teachers. A workshop following the theatre piece gives pupils the opportunity to explore how the characters could have acted differently. 

County Councillor Joan Stocker, Cabinet Spokesperson for Education says 

"Supporting this initiative is entirely consistent with the Council's policy on Cultural Diversity. This technique offers a very practical and relevant way for pupils to explore racism. Understanding people's cultural differences, particularly for young people of this county, is crucial in developing a multi-cultural and cohesive community. We need to look at how we interact with people who may be different to ourselves to avoid preconceptions and stereo-typing." 

Jane Yates, Advisory Teacher for Multicultural and Anti-Racist Education says 

"All schools have a legal duty to promote racial equality and eliminate unlawful discrimination under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act (Nov 2000). "Ally Comes to Cumbria" gives pupils a realistic experience of interacting with actors in a range of racist incidents. Through the workshop, pupils are helped to develop confidence and skills in responding to racial discrimination which they may experience or witness in their own lives".