Chickenshed’s Crime of the Century: performance and panel discussion

Performers as gang members © Chickenshed

Shakira Dyer reports on long-running theatre production addressing gang violence

In 2008, a tragic knife crime claimed the life of 14-year-old, Shaquille Smith outside his own home. He was one of the youngest victims in a growing knife crime epidemic that continues to plague the UK.

Driven by grief and a determination to prevent similar fates, Shaquille’s cousins, Jojo Morrall and Daniel Banton embarked on a mission to make a difference.

As they were performers at Chickenshed Theatre, they created a powerful performance piece, Crime of the Century in 2009, touring schools, prisons, and youth centres. The performance aims to help steer young people away from violence and towards positive futures.

It poignantly illustrates how young people, marginalised and pushed out of the education system, can be drawn into gangs. Chickenshed’s outreach team aims to intervene early, providing and offering alternatives before tragedy strikes.

To mark Chickenshed’s 50th anniversary year, a Crime of the Century panel brought together various charities and organisations to network and support this vital initiative until, as Jojo put it: “We get to a point where this is no longer needed.”

At the beginning of the panel discussion, cast members and moderator Jojo facilitated a debate on how best to support young people and divert them from gang involvement.

The dire need for adequate support in schools for vulnerable students was highlighted

One performer, Levi Demar emphasised the importance of workshops that present young audiences with tangible possibilities beyond a life of crime.

Michaela, another performer, who also works in special education and mental health, highlighted the dire need for adequate personal support in schools, lamenting the lack of resources available to vulnerable students.

Institutions such as Barnet Youth Justice – with their Engage Project – attempt to redirect young people to positive activities or community service after they commit a crime.

The youth-led Peer Action Collective helps to research the link between exclusion and knife crime, to prevent young people being ignored by the school system while organisations like Kickstart Homes are partners of Chickenshed, helping young people to get accommodation to avoid the economic draw of crime.

There is also a concerted effort to incorporate the experiences of young women for the shows development

Recognising the increasingly younger age of gang recruitment, Chickenshed have adapted their approach to target younger students, now reaching out to Year 7s or even Year 6s. There is also a concerted effort to incorporate the experiences of young women, adding content that resonates with girls’ perspectives in gangs.

While these adaptations are needed, the performers were disheartened to hear children as young as 11 suggesting disturbing topics for the show’s development.

“We were developing a separate show Day One: Big School which removed a lot of the crime elements. However, even children that young suggested about vaping or carrying drug packages,” noted performer and outreach team leader, Michael Bossise.

The long-term goal of Crime of the Century is ambitious: to partner with 50 organisations, over the next 50 years, offering comprehensive support that includes housing assistance and mental health resources. The initiative underscores the urgent need for more support staff in schools, with one representative, Michaela, lamenting over the lack of adequate personnel. “I was the only assistant at the whole school. More personnel are needed.”

The character Nathan screams out © Chickenshed

Following the discussion, the audience watched the performance, which delves into the vulnerabilities of young people expelled from the education system.

The protagonist, Nathan finds it hard to read and focus in school, possibly with undiagnosed dyslexia or ADHD. He faces expulsion and subsequent gang recruitment and gets put in prison for offending.

The performers’ talent in rap and dance was incredible, including a scene where the young people, feeling unheard, vibrate the floor or smash up a chair because someone “looked at you like that” – or Nathan’s mother’s panic as she rushes in a crowd, searching for her son to ensure his safety.

Other scenes show characters finding supportive pathways, such as accommodation, yet they ask if the audience can really see them, really notice them and their ambitions and dreams.

Interactive moments within the performance, such as when the gang members approached the audience wanting to steal something, challenged the audience to consider their responses to gang-related situations, fostering a deeper understanding of the issue.

Since 2009, Chickenshed’s Crime of the Century initiative has aimed to provide comprehensive, multi-faceted support that addresses the complex social, economic and emotional factors contributing to gang involvement and knife crime.

By working together, communities, institutions and arts organisations can empower young people to make positive choices and break the cycle of violence.