Zest Theatre and Half Moon Announce New Show Exploring Youth Attitudes to Brexit

Two of the UK's leading companies creating work for young people have announced a touring show that uses interviews from over 200 teenagers from two areas of Britain that voted Leave and two areas that voted Remain to highlight the opinions of those too young to vote in the referendum. What Once Was Ours has been made in reaction to the extreme polarity of opinions and the readiness to attack those with alternate ones, and is aimed at increasing understanding and conversation between those of differing views. The show focuses on a half-brother and sister from very different backgrounds and the struggling relationship when one asks for help. It will open with a weeks run at the Half Moon and tour to a further 27 venues.

Between November 2016 and January 2017, Zest Theatre held extensive workshops in Barnsley, Newcastle/Gateshead, the company's home county Lincolnshire, and in Tower Hamlets where the Half Moon is located. In each area the company talked to and listened to young people from across the divide to find out their feelings on Brexit, Britishness, politics and society. What Once Was Ours was created based on these conversations, and verbatim quotes from the workshops are used throughout the show.

Barnsley voted by 68% to leave the EU, and Boston, Lincolnshire voted to leave by 76%, the strongest leave vote in the country. Tower Hamlets voted to remain in the EU by 68%, and Newcastle by 51%. Zest Theatre also visited Gateshead, across the river from Newcastle, where the vote was 57% leave.

Katie and Callum couldn't be any more distant and disconnected: different heritage, different cities, different opportunities. Except there is one thing they'll always have in common: Dad. What happens when Callum suddenly turns up in desperate need of help? Beautiful imagery, striking original music and immersive design combine to create this powerful new production for young people, which asks why we've become so fearful of anyone who is different from us.

Toby Ealden, Artistic Director of Zest Theatre and director of What Once Was Ours, said, "The impetus for this new production came the day of the EU referendum result. When the result came in, we spent the day hearing so many of the towns we tour to portrayed in the media as somehow less intelligent, racist and small minded. This portrayal didn't do these communities justice.

"Zest is based in Lincolnshire and the town of Boston is part of our 'home turf'. Some parts of the media have labelled Boston as the Brexit capital of Britain due to the complex issues it faces with its Eastern European population. There is unease at the increase in Polish shops, the many languages heard on the street, the feeling that their public services are struggling to meet demand. Here is a rurally isolated town that feels ignored and unheard; a community who's been left to deal with these changes with very little help or investment. We have to understand that for these young people, diversity is a relatively new thing; change feels scary. Their fears were very real; fears that hadn't previously been heard with empathy."

Chris Elwell, Director of the Half Moon and dramaturg of What Once Was Ours said, "We're excited to be working with Zest Theatre on this exciting new piece of writing for young people that, importantly, has been driven by the voices, words and attitudes of young people across the UK to Brexit. While their views might not have been united, we hope that What Once Was Ours will allow audiences to witness a whole range of different opinions that will allow them to come together and start a more open dialogue.

"What we found with the young people we worked with in our local Tower Hamlets schools was that they are so used to living in a tolerant and multicultural society that they hadn't considered what it might feel like to live somewhere more divided. As we delved into those opinions further with them, they talked about how they do sometimes group together with people with whom they feel a racial or cultural affinity, but that equally they are blind to those things more often than not."

Lincoln based Zest Theatre, established in 2007 by Toby Ealden, creates theatre for, by and with young people. They aim to make theatre accessible through Dynamic Productions and participation projects inspired by the needs, lives and imaginations of those aged under 25. Zest's previous productions include immersive house party Gatecrash, which toured in 2014 and again in 2016, and Thrive about Post Traumatic Growth, which toured from 2016 to 2017. Director Toby Ealden has been making theatre for young audiences for over ten years including youth theatres, school tours and national touring. His past work includes working as The Youth Theatre director for Nacro, the national crime reduction charity. During his time there, Nacro toured with young people across the country, including to the National Theatre.

Half Moon is the UK's leading small-scale young people's venue and touring company. It is a local organisation with a national remit, committed to supporting artists and young people at every stage of their creative development. Working from their base in East London, Half Moon specialises in new writing and artform development, acting as a gateway organisation that provides pathways for progression and experimentation. Half Moon's wide-ranging programme reaches 50,000 people annually and engages those who are often excluded from arts activity. Half Moon's activity includes a season of professional plays for young audiences, national touring productions and an extensive creative learning programme, including seven youth theatres.

Half Moon is a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and receives regular funding from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Half Moon's digital archive is available at www.stagesofhalfmoon.org.uk.

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