Going to the theatre

On Friday I was lucky enough to be invited to the National Theatre of Scotland’s fifth birthday event in Glasgow. Afterwards while sampling some of the delightful food they had put on for us I spoke to a lady from the National Theatre about taking children to the theatre. She has a daughter a little older than mine and so was pleased when I said I like taking my children to the theatre.

She told me that there is a considerable research which has found that the number one reason why adults go to the theatre is because they were taken as a child. Schools may take them but this has no effect. It needs to be a family affair.

I can totally understand that. I think it is great that schools make the effort to take children to the theatre but I can totally see why going to the theatre for fun won’t enter many children’s heads.

Recently we told the children the story of Greyfriar’s Bobby and we all sat and watched the 1962 version of the film, with the children laughing at what they thought of as strange accents.

Schools can make subjects seem boring and so we want to show the children that all these stories are fun and exciting. My children already have a good knowledge of history and they view it as something to discover rather than something to learn.

The theatre should be the same. But there is an assumption that schools are more likely to go than families. Recently I tried booking a few shows but found that many were only showing during school hours.

A rethink needed.

Alcohol education

Last week I attended an alcohol and mental health conference in Glasgow. It was a

fascinating day and although I already knew the statistics for Scotland with regards alcohol, mental health and suicide, even I was shocked at the extent of the problem and the contrast to other European countries and even England.

But I would also say that this conference had a lasting effect on me and my opinions on alcohol education in schools. The speaker pointed out that for a small group of children, particularly when the education sessions are delivered in primary schools, these sessions are not educational, they are terrifying.

Think of the ten year old who, on hearing about the health risks of alcohol thinks “That’s my mum”. As one social worker said to me afterwards, “These children have to go through the rest of the school say, feeling sick and worried because it has just been pointed out to them that their parents who are heavy drinkers are likely to develop cirrhosis of the liver”.

These education sessions are well meaning, but perhaps we need to remember that in any one class there is likely going to be at least one child who is already living with the effects. Terrifying these children is not the answer.