Cranford Review 2017

discussions and share their opinions, views, concerns
and questions challenging topics, including issues
related to terrorism, extremism and radicalisation. It
is through this need the “Hear Our Voices” project
evolved. It provides young people of school age a
safe place to consider such challenging topics and
questions and allows them to not only share their
opinions but aims to educate these young adults
about the dangers and consequences of extremism
and radicalisation.
Project
In
January this year, Cranford
embarked on a major project
working with the Home Office in
support of its agenda of tackling extremism
and radicalisation of young people.
Schools have a duty to protect their children
from the dangers of radicalisation. Over the
past few years Cranford has commissioned
projects to shore up students’ defences to
those who would seek to draw them into
terrorism. One of the projects we use is the
Institute for Strategic Dialogues Extreme
Dialogue programme. This programme uses
high quality video and teaching resources
to develop young people’s critical thinking
skills. A group of Cranford students who
participated in the Extreme Dialogue
programme wanted to challenge the
difference between their school world and
the world beyond the school gates. They were
convinced that something should be done
to promote the shared values of the school
community with the world outside. They felt
the need to go out into the community to
promote common values and in particular
those of respect and tolerance.
“Hear our Voices” aimed at giving children
a voice and to demonstrate to schools that
this can be done in a non-threatening way,
equipping children with the resilience
needed to combat any future radicalisation
threat. The world around us is a fast-paced,
turbulent and scary place for the ‘children’
of today. The newspapers are filled with
headlines aimed to shock yet inform.
However we often forget that it isn’t just
the adult population that is reading these
articles. There is an urgent need to allow the
children of today to have a safe and open
forum where they can engage in honest
The project aimed to provide both primary and
secondary schools with some simple tools and
resources to enable them to fulfil this duty in a
non-threatening way. Through the use of drama
and creative writing students explored the topic of
extremism and radicalisation. The performance in
front of parents and teachers enabled both to start
having a dialogue with their children on this difficult
topic.
The three pieces are based around different briefs;
The Ripple Effect, Social Networks and The Open
Brief.
The Ripple Effect mixes live action with filmed news
bulletins reporting on a fictional suicide bombing of
Kings Cross by a young man from Hounslow. The
play explores the ‘ripple effect’ of his actions on
those who know him. Actors play a friend, teacher,
girlfriend, work colleague, football coach, aunt and
mother. The play explores not only the devastation to
those killed by the terrorist act but those who knew
him. The mother makes a plea to parents to talk to
their children. The key question is how well do you
really know someone?
The Social Network play deals with a young boy
who is being bullied at school. His mother and
father separate and the only constant in his life is his
computer games. He is befriended by another online
gamer who initially we think is another child but
as their conversation progresses we start to wonder
who this person is. He advises the boy to stand up
for his beliefs. When the boy asks his mother about
his beliefs and his identity she ignores him. In the
next scene buoyed by his new beliefs he challenges
his bullies and feels good about the experience. Our
mystery gamer tells him that people will try and
turn him from his beliefs but he must be strong. In
the last scene his mother is seen as a distant figure
slowly withdrawing from his life. The boy picks up
his school bag then picks up a suitcase throwing down
his school bag and walks off. The key question is how
did he become so alienated?
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