AN URBAN theatre performance was shown at the John Madejski Academy (JMA) as part of a joint initiative tackling knife crime among young people.
CODE, by theatre company Justice in Motion, explored the dangers of knife crime, criminal gangs, and drugs, examining how gangs draw in young people.
It’s aimed at students in Year 6 and above but is also suitable for the whole family, and features a group of urban sports professionals such as trial bike riders, parkour athletes, and dancers.
It was developed with extensive research and inspired by true case studies, reports from relevant charities, and national initiatives aimed at tackling county lines crimes.
The performances at the JMA were attended by the parents of Olly Stephens, Amanda and Stuart Stephens; MP for Reading Central Matt Rodda, MP for Earley and Woodley, Yuan Yang; the mayor of Reading, Cllr, Glenn Dennis; and members of Reading Borough Council.
The Reading Community Safety Partnership, Create Reading (Cultural Education Partnership), Brighter Futures for Children and Reading Borough Council through the Shared Prosperity Fund sponsored the event, which forms part of the Stay True to You campaign developed by the Thames Valley Violence Prevention Partnership.
Matt Rodda MP said: “The CODE event was very powerful and I hope it plays an important part in raising awareness of the risks of knife crime.
“It was a privilege to be able to watch the event with Stuart and Amanda, the parents of Olly Stephens, and I would like to thank the cast, Reading Borough Council, JMA, and other schools and other groups for all their work on this initiative.”
