I am writing to invite you to attend one of the performances of our brand new play, A is for Amy.
This play has been created in response to the shocking statistic that a quarter of 13-17 year old girls experience intimate partner violence (the highest of any age group) yet teenage referrals to support services are low.
This made it clear that it is vital for young people to be given the tools to be on the lookout for their peers, be better equipped to understand the red flags of their unhealthy relationships and to understand where support can be accessed.
Young people involved in the development of A is for Amy additionally shared that they hoped it would help their peers:
- Recognise good and bad relationship characteristics (from the perspective of both friendships and intimate relationships)
- Understand they have choices
- Have the skills to helpfully approach someone they are concerned about
- Feel empowered
We, and they, would love for as many people as possible from the education, youth, arts & culture and domestic abuse sectors to see A is for Amy, opening the doors for it to be accessed by as many young people as possible in the future.
Could this performance help you engage and meet the needs of young people in your school, group, support service or audience?
Written and directed by Newcastle-based writer Zoe Murtagh, and co-produced with local young people, A is for Amy has been created specifically for young people. It tells the story of Amy, a young person who finds themselves drawn into an abusive relationship with her older boyfriend, Dean. Through the course of the play, Dean’s control over Amy gradually grows until, with the help of people around her, she manages to leave him and begin to rebuild her life.
While A is for Amy is fictional, it is based on the real life experiences and insights of young people Changing Relations has worked with both in this theatre development project, and in the earlier creation of our book Sometimes it Hurts which was published in 2021. Sometimes it Hurts is a series of 6 short stories and this theatre production expands on Amy’s story.
Young people attending the performances with our partner schools, colleges and youth groups will also take part in a workshop which will further support them to recognise the signs of unhealthy relationships, where they can access support & how to helpfully respond to worrying signs in their friends’ relationships.
We have a number of performance times available to suit your schedule, including both day time and evening. Links to book your place are provided below:
AFTERNOON 1pm Thursday 19th October Book here
EVENING 7pm Thursday 19th October Book here (Our evening performance includes a Q&A with some of the team behind the production!)
MORNING 11am Friday 20th October Book here
If you have colleagues – or those within your wider networks who you think might also be interested to attend – please feel free to forward this invitation on to them.
In recognition of the financial pressures many find themselves under, we are offering all tickets to A is for Amy on a pay as you feel basis. Whether you can afford to contribute financially or not, we would love to see you at the performance, but any contribution made will be used to take A is for Amy (and the associated workshop) to more young people – giving them the tools to form better, healthier relationships and to signpost their friends to support where they spot red flags.
If you would be interested in bringing a group of young people to the performance and accessing the supporting workshop we have devised, please contact our Creative Producer, Kate Gorman: kate@kategormanconsulting.co.uk
With all good wishes, in the hope that you are able to make one of our performance dates,
Lisa Davis
Managing Director – Changing Relations
Published: September 15