Introducing Would You, the latest addition to the FREE in-school secondary programs from Youth Choices
Challenging, thought provoking, and realistic – this curriculum aligned and theatre in education program compels young people to think about consent in all its forms – from the everyday and mundane, being teased by Mum & Dad about going on a date, to the intricacies of healthy and unhealthy relationships. Tackling the complex topic of consent, Would You follows six students as they navigate their friendships, crushes, and family relationships, and encourages viewers to consider how consent permeates all aspects of their daily lives.
Encompassing consent and boundaries in platonic, familial, and romantic settings, Would You emphasises how consent must be freely given, informed, and mutual, relying on the principle of respect for individual autonomy. The script was devised in collaboration with Western Australian high school students, based on their real experiences of negotiating various types of consent in their lives – with friends, family, crushes, online, so on.
The program is delivered by trained facilitators and actors, and after viewing the film, the Youth Choices team generate an engaging, empathy driven dialogue with the audience, with the goal of breaking down various challenges raised in the film. Using powerful Forum Theatre techniques, the team start to explore solutions, asking questions like:
- “What is consent and why does it matter?”
- “What do healthy relationships look like?”
- “How about unhealthy ones?”
The program is supported by curriculum aligned, age appropriate teacher resources, with lesson ideas and activities provided in two separate packs for Years 7-10 and Years 11-12. The content is based on the current healthy relationships research and the Western Australian Government’s Department of Health initiative, Growing & Developing Healthy Relationships (GDHR).
It joins Constable Care Foundation’s growing list of Youth Choices programs for teens that use interactive theatre and filmmaking to explore tough social issues such as mental health, substance abuse, sexuality, discrimination, bullying, abuse, or a topic of their choosing.
