Cinderama - Out of the ashes

The project had a range of other partners including Plan Ghana, the British Council and Atlas Copco and was borne out of a collaboration between the National Theatre here and the National Touring Company of Sweden. What excited us was the opportunity to get the show on the road to the parts of the country we work in and generate a discussion about the issues we work on daily like child rights, sexual abuse, neglectful parenting and the rough deal our girls too often get in the family.

The play made children and adults alike think, sometimes for the furst time, about children having rights

Taking a show of this size on the road was no easy matter and the first season had its fair share of ups and downs. When everything went to plan, we saw audiences numbered in the thousands and at one show the girls in the audience were so excited the stage manager had to appeal for a bit more calm so everyone could hear the play.

On other occasions, our communication channels had not got through to the local audiences to ensure adequate publicity. This is an area we are going to work on. And then there were the problems that you get when you travel the length and breadth of a big country from bus breakdowns to a lack of electricity. The commitment shown by everyone involved to make it a success could be illustrated by the time the team had to jump on the bus and twist the arm of a local headmaster to allow the girls to attend at the last minute.

Artistic issues aside, the most rewarding part of the project came in the open forum after the show. This was a chance for the whole community to talk about what it’s like to be a girl and how the issues raised in the play could be addressed in their own communities.

So what did the children and their parents have to say?

• Children insist that they should be able to go to school now they know it is a right (many children had never imagined that they had rights before)
• Many parents admitted that they had never really thought about the notion that their children had rights either and that they should be consulted on issues that affect them
• Girls and boys should be treated equally and fairly in the home
• Abusing children’s rights can lead to children ending up on the streets
• Children who are discriminated suffer from low self-esteem and this can damage them throughout their lives
• Parents, especially fathers, are often too busy to care what happens in the home
• Unless a child gets love, they will find it difficult to give love when they grow up

All in all, the National Theatre estimates around 20,000 children and adults got to see the play and join in the discussion. The lessons learned along the way will benefit our work generally and we are hopeful that we can repeat the tour and reach even more people.