YOUNG HULL ACTORS STAGE A FIRST AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS TO MARK WILBERFORCE 2007

Young Hull actors will enter the history books later this month when they become the first people to perform a play in a House of Commons Chamber to mark the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act as part of the British Council’s Slavery Youth Debate event.

With support from Hull Trains, East Hull MP John Prescott has arranged for Hull Truck Youth Theatre to travel to London to perform the play Slavers in the Commons – the very place former Hull MP William Wilberforce fought for the abolition of the slave trade in 1807.

Slavers, is a powerful piece of theatre that has been specially commissioned for Hull Truck Youth Theatre as part of the Wilberforce 2007 celebrations. This ‘back-to-the-future story’ recreates the tale of the slave trade and its abolition through the eyes of young people in Hull.

This cutting-edge production gives the young people of Hull the chance to examine what the slave trade meant 200 years ago and to discover the shocking truth about slavery today.
The cast of Hull Truck Youth Theatre includes pupils from Hull College, Trinity House, Archbishop Thurstan, Endeavour High and Malet Lambert schools.

Joanne Gower, Hull Truck Theatre’s Executive Director, is delighted that its Youth Theatre has been invited to perform at this prestigious event: “This is a fantastic opportunity for them and is testament not only to their hard work and determination, but also to those professionals who have supported them at the theatre and in their schools. They have produced work of an extremely high standard and we are proud of their achievements.”

The performance on Friday, October 19th will round off a remarkable day of events at the Palace of Westminster. Earlier that day, young people from Hull, London and Middlesbrough will debate in the historic Grand Committee Room with young participants from ten countries across sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and the United States on the abolition of the slave trade and its modern-day manifestations with parliamentarians in the House of Commons.

At the invitation of Mr Prescott, the UK’s international cultural relations body has organised the British Council Youth Debate as part of its flagship Africa 2007 Programme to give young people an opportunity to explore the shared legacies of the slave trade and how they can contribute to the eradication of its modern day forms.

Mr Prescott said: “I am extremely proud that in the 200th anniversary year of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act that Hull should play its part in again making history at the House of Commons.”

“It’s brilliant that young people, after the success of the show in Hull, are performing the London premier of this fantastic play in the Palace of Westminster to an audience of people from right across the globe. “

“ I am delighted that Hull Truck is presenting a further play highlighting the issues of modern day slavery and I look forward to the premiere of SOLD which opens in Hull in October. I hope that both of these plays draw attention to the horrific practice of people trafficking, which is the modern-day slave trade.

“People are being bought and sold and then exploited and abused, not just in Africa and Asia but in Europe and the UK too, and we must fight to stop it.”

Media Enquiries to the Hull Truck Theatre Marketing Department: Tel 01482 325 012 /
Email: marketing@hulltruck.co.uk

Editors Notes

1. The British Council works in 110 countries worldwide to build trust and understanding between the UK and other countries through the arts, education and training, science and technology, sport, good governance and human rights. For more information, please visit www.britishcouncil.org

2. Africa 2007 is a long-term programme that explores culture and identity to generate fresh ideas and new understandings between individuals and communities from Africa and the UK. It aims to build sustainable partnerships that challenge current perceptions of the relationship between Africa and the UK. The regional programme involved the UK and a number of African countries including Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa. For more information, please visit: http://www.britishcouncil.org/ghana-arts-and-culture-africa-2007-main.htm

3. The debate will be held in the House of Commons and the Speaker of the House, Michael Martin, will chair for the first part of the session and then hand over to Deputy Speaker, Sylvia Heal.

4. Participants involved are aged between 15-18 years old. There will be approximately 50 participants of which 33 are from Africa, namely Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Caribbean and 17 are from around the UK, including pupils from schools Hull, London and Middlesbrough

5. The Hull Truck play Slavers will be performed in the Parliamentary Chamber in Westminster Hall, which became a parallel Chamber to the House of Commons in 1999. For more information on the parallel chamber go to http://www.parliamentlive.tv/notes/00007154.pdf

6. Slavers was written by Rupert Creed and directed by Bella Tristram. It premiered at Hull Truck in August 2007 and was commissioned for the Hull Truck Youth Theatre as part of the Wilberforce 2007 celebrations in Hull. Go to www.wilberforce2007.com

7. Written by John Godber and Jane Thornton, the premiere production SOLD was commissioned as part of the Wilberforce 2007 celebrations and runs at Hull Truck from the 25 October to 17 November. Click here for further details