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Welsh Theatre company portrays true account of Human Trafficking on stage |
A Welsh Theatre Company will be staging a new production in Wales which has been created by real testimonies of victims of Human Trafficking in Wales. Theatre Versus Oppression will be taking their production SOLD on tour around theatres in Wales from 12 October until 9 November. SOLD is a play based on the testimonies of individuals who have all suffered at the hands of traffickers in Wales. They come from different backgrounds and circumstances, all different ages and each with their own individual shocking story of how they have been trafficked. In SOLD six characters collide at a city centre bus stop on a series of winter evenings, human suffering finding solace in its fellow’s pain. Moving and at times through dark humour, characters stories are based on true accounts of trafficked victims from local communities, showing that the problem is already in Wales. The plays show that victims of human trafficking are coerced, exploited, deceived, kidnapped, falsely imprisoned and sometimes victims of rape, and its teenagers as well as adults. Between 500,000 and 800,000 women are trafficked each year in the EU. In 2011, the Metropolitan Police estimated that up to 11,800 women may have been trafficked into England and Wales and there are at least 10,000 people being forced to live as slaves in the UK. The traffickers bring their victims into the UK through the ports – making Wales a key point of entry. Founder of Theatre Versus Oppression and creator of the play, SOLD, J.S. Hartley said: ”Despite working with oppressions of all sorts with TVO over the years both nationally and internationally, human trafficking was always an issue I saw as something that happened elsewhere. With this project I learned it was happening on our doorstep. The stories I heard were shocking and disturbing, a wake up call to an issue that is far serious than most of us could ever realise. I realised that human trafficking takes many forms and is not in any way limited to sexual exploitation. I learned that it affects both men and women, every age group and every nationality. I also learned how easy it was for young people to be pulled into this way of life, allured with lies and false promises. It became extremely important to me to educate people about the truth of the situation, to raise awareness and interest and to prepare young people for the very real dangers that are so close. Human trafficking is not someone else's problem; it touches all of our lives whether we realise it or not.” Theatre versus Oppression is a Cardiff based charity which uses the arts to work with individuals and groups to explore behaviour and situations of conflict. The six actors in the play come from various backgrounds. Jason Camilleri is a musician and actor from Cardiff, Andrea Hodges is am actress and lecturer at Cardiff and Vale College, Zoe Goodacre is a writer, actress and works for the NHS in Rhondda Cynon Taff, Shakira Johnson is an actress and fitness instructor, Shireen is an actress from Swansea and the youngest actor is Cardiff High School pupil Marcus Moses. Theatre versus Oppression is a Cardiff based charity which uses the arts to work with individuals and groups to explore behaviour and situations of conflict. SOLD is based on real life experiences of people who have been trafficked. It came out of our previous play on domestic abuse Til Death Do Us Part? Theatre Versus Oppression are working with Welsh Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, Joyce Watson in raising awareness and addressing the issue of human trafficking through SOLD. More information on Joyce Watson’s campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking can be found at http://www.human-trafficking.co.uk/ SOLD will be touring Wales throughout October and November opening at Chapter, Cardiff (12 & 13 October), Volcano @229 High Street,Swansea (14 & 15 October), Catring Finch Theatre, Wrexham (18 October), Theatr Gwaun Fishguard (19 October), Cardiff & Vale College (21 October), Sherman Theatre (22 October), Studio The Ffwnes, Llanelli (23 & 24 October), Theatr Soar, Merthyr Tydfil (7 November) and Aberystwyth University (9 November). Tickets are £10 and concessions. For further information please visit www.theatreversusoppression.com/ |
| Theatre Versus Oppression web site: www.theatreversusoppression.com/ |
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Tuesday, October 1, 2013 |
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