New youth theater performances and more during Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month
Written by SAFE
We’re thrilled to announce our new lineup of youth theater performances and TikTok workshop! Take a look below for how to book a performance in your school and additional exciting opportunities for teens to get involved in promoting healthy relationships during Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month and beyond.
Our Alien Nation
Speaking up for our boundaries, one universe at a time. The Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble, a collaboration between Creative Action and Expect Respect (a program of SAFE), excitedly returns with their 2022 school tour of “Our Alien Nation.”
This new play, written and performed by the ensemble, follows youth experiences of feeling alienated in their lives and in their relationships as we enter a new phase of the pandemic. Maddie is excited about her new relationship with girlfriend Felix, but their signals seem to keep crossing. Maddie can’t quite express how she feels and they both seem to have conflicting ideas of what it means to be “exclusive.” Meanwhile Drake, the up and coming football star, finds conflict between his new passion for sports and longterm best friendship with Josh, a self proclaimed gamer and band kid.
Image description: A poster for a play that includes and illustration of four teens facing away from the viewer. They are lookin up at a UFO. The words “OUR ALIEN NATION” are in big, green text. This is the title of the play.
The play aims to help youth (grades 6-8) understand that we are not alone and that we have to communicate our feelings, proven strategies that help youth establish healthier relationships later in life. The play explores:
- What does it mean to be exclusive in a relationship?
- How do we communicate our needs and boundaries?
- How do we move on from relationships that no longer serve us?
Since 2003, Changing Lives has created original plays and toured to schools, conferences, and community events all across Austin and the surrounding areas to spark dialogue about teen relationships and encourage youth to take a stand against dating violence, sexual harassment, and bullying.
Teachers and schools can reach out to Expect Respect Educational Theatre Manager Claire K. Redfield at credfield@safeaustin.org or use the booking form here.
Where’s Your Line?
Where’s Your Line? is an interactive performance focused on preventing teen dating violence. The format of the program includes scenes and monologues, as well as facilitated conversation with the audience.
This dating abuse prevention program takes virtual learning to the next level as it examines the relationship between two high school seniors, Eli and Maya, who are struggling with the stress of applying for college and the possibility of their relationship changing with this next step. The program is highly interactive, including dynamic digital storytelling, collaborative activities, and live facilitated conversation.
Facilitators invite the audience to identify healthy and unhealthy dating behaviors, learn how to create boundaries, and gain tools to navigate problems in relationships. This program is ideal for 10-12th grades and we can accommodate 25-60 students in an audience. We provide this program free of charge.
Due to COVID, we are keeping our performances virtual until the Spring of 2022, or when Travis County is back at Stage 3 whichever comes first. If you’re interested in an in-person performance, please let us know when you fill in your performance request form.
You can request a Where’s Your Line performance here or reach out to Marina DeYoe-Pedraza at mdeyoe-pedraza@safeaustin.org for more information.
TikTok workshop for Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
Did you know SAFE has a TikTok page (@SafeAtx)? Created by high school and college students supporting Expect Respect and SAFE’s work to foster healthy relationships, they are connecting with other youth through social media and harnessing our collective creativity and curiosity to tackle complex social justice issues one video at a time.
For National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, adults and teens are invited to join the TikTok group and participate in their behind-the-scenes process of exploring the topic of teen dating violence before a new TikTok is created. This virtual, 1-hour, interactive workshop on Feb. 23 from 4-5 p.m. CST is open to people who want to learn more about what teen dating violence is, how to support youth who are experiencing it, and how to prevent it from happening in the first place.
You can check out one of our videos on relationship green flags here:
@safeatx Relationship green flags 💚! #healthyrelationship #greenflags #foryou #fyp #love #friends
Email Claire K. Redfield at credfield@safeaustin.org if you’d like to attend. We hope to see you there!
