Objective:

By putting on the Firebird theatre production, the Children’s Society, which protects vulnerable children in England and Wales, and Hampstead Theatre hoped to raise awareness around the issue of child sexual exploitation. Edward Hall, artistic director of Hampstead Theatre Downstairs says, “Theatre has an incredible power to provoke discussion and sometimes even to bring about change.”

Strategy:

The play tells the story of a girl called Tia who is sexually exploited by an older man. The play format helps the audience to understand how this situation might unfold in the real world, creating empathy and increased awareness. Jennifer Walters, communications director at the Children’s Society, says, “Working with Hampstead Theatre on Firebird has given us a new way in to talking about the difficult topic of child sexual exploitation with our audiences, as well as reaching new ones.”In order to drive further conversation, the live run of the play at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs was accompanied by a social media campaign that used the hashtags #Firebird and #SeriouslyAwkward.

Rationale:

The live runs of the play in September and October, along with the online broadcasts – conducted in association with Time Out – in November, were seen by more than 7,000 people. Hampstead Theatre and the Children’s Society have now announced that the play will run for a further month at Trafalgar Studios in London’s West End throughout February. This will allow for many more people to see the production and to hear its message.