Year 10 Mental Health Drama Workshop

Last Friday, the Year 10 students participated in one of the several events the school holds to raise awareness of mental health. The school welcomed the Upfront Theatre Company for the third year running to hold their annual ‘Mental Health Drama Workshop’. This event aims at raising awareness into mental health by acting out several scenes of people suffering from a form of mental health and their friends’ reaction to their behaviour. The boys explored 3 main scenarios.

The first scenario was between two friends (one boy and one girl) who were discussing a boy in their class who had been suffering from a form of mental health. This scene was littered with myths and misconceptions of mental health, including mental illnesses as being both common and ‘uncommon’, the causes to mental health and its symptoms (including self-harming), discrimination/derogatory language, treatment, sectioning and finally rights and the law – which includes those within the workplace and education. The activity that followed that was a workshop to determine which of the content in the scene was a myth and why. The students were split into two teams and asked to shout out their team name when they spotted a myth. The third actor in the group explained further and reclarified why each myth was a myth and awarded points to the respective teams. This activity was designed to explore the facts in an active and fun way. It broke down barriers, giving the audience permission to be involved.

The second scenario was between two girls, one of whom was suffering from exam stress, anxiety, low self-esteem and generally ‘feeling down’. Her friend is shown as trying to help, but inadvertently saying all the wrong things. This scene followed again with another workshop, where the students discussed what the friend should have said instead, to cheer up her friend. After giving the suggestions, the actors returned to the scene and used that advice to try and improve the situation.

The last scenario was of two boys speaking together. This aimed to find out the difference between how boys and girl react differently to mental health. The boy suffering from depression had recently suffered a serious injury that prevented him from playing his favourite sport: football. This activity allowed students to realise the risks that are often prevalent in a school for boys: that boys tend not to talk about more ‘private’ subjects such as their own mental health. The activity aims to encourage students to talk more openly to their friends if they are suffering from a form of mental illness. The last part of the session was a small talk about what to do if you are suffering from mental illnesses and what help is available.

This session was invaluable, allowing the boys to explore in a fun, interactive way the symptoms of mental health and how you should react to it. It is one of several events that the school holds to ensure that HABS is a fun place for everyone.