The Grand Creative Learning Team worked with Thick Skin Theatre to engage local Sixth Form College and HE students from Blackpool and the Fylde College in movement development workshops as an integral part of the outreach/engagement work for the How Not To Drown residency at the Grand in March 2023.

How Not To Drown is the story of Albanian Kosovan Dritan Kastrati. In the turmoil after the end of the Kosovan War, 11-year-old Dritan is sent on the notoriously perilous journey across the Adriatic with a gang of people smugglers to a new life in Europe. He relies on his young wit and charm to make it to the UK. But the fight for survival continues as he clings to his identity and sense of self when he ends up in the British care system.

Students from Blackpool 6^th and Blackpool School of Arts were offered the opportunity to work alongside the performers Ajjaz Awad, Esme Bayley, Daniel Cahill and Reuben Joseph in two-hour sessions guiding participants through some of the creative processes used by the company to devise work. The sessions were fun, active and collaborative, taking place in creative and supportive environments.

Artistic Director Neil Bettles also facilitated a three-hour Artists Development workshop in the Grand Theatre Studio for artists with an interest in movement, physical theatre and devising a deeper insight into ThickSkin’s practice. The Artist Workshop was active, collaborative and fun, taking participants through some of Thick Skin’s devising techniques, and offering new ideas and stimulus for future practice.

Audiences were gripped by the performances. The powerful story of Dritan’s journey across Europe and navigating his way through the British care system as a child who does not speak English, trapped in a system that is well-meaning but bureaucratic but mostly with little real affection offered real insight into this world through the eyes of the child. Most powerful of all is that Dritan himself performs and is central to the performance with the ensemble cast.

A post-show discussion with Dritan, Esme and Neil raised interesting and poignant questions which were answered with honesty, leaving the audience in no doubt as to the integrity of the story and performance

The Grand Theatre Team are very much looking forward to working with Thick Skin Theatre Company again in Autumn.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Creative Development & Learning Team and future projects, contact; creativelearning@blackpoolgrand.co.uk