Giving input for 'The SpeaKing part'

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Graeme Pickering (centre) holding up the brochure with schoolchildren and Jessie Roux from The Traitors (courtesy of Alex Tabrizi)

We are proud to have played a part in a recent school initiative from The Barn Theatre and Stammers Matter CIC to challenge misconceptions around stammering.

Centring around the current UK tour of The King's Speech play, The Barn Theatre and Stammers Matter invited local secondary schools in Cirencester to take part in The SpeaKing Part, a creative workshop encouraging young people to challenge misconceptions, listen differently and become Voice Champions for the stammering community.

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George Rainsford as George VI, from The King's Speech theatre play (courtesy of Alex Tabrizi)

Graeme Pickering from Stammers Matter said, "The workshop encourages us to think beyond simply what we say, and consider how we communicate - through our bodies, our rhythm, our pace, our gestures and our individual voices. Above all, the workshop is about valuing our own voices and the voices of others, celebrating the many different ways we communicate and creating space for every voice to be heard".

He continues, "The arts have an enormous ability to change perceptions. They can start conversations, challenge assumptions and allow us to experience the world from another person's perspective. For Stammers Matter, that makes theatre a particularly powerful place to explore stammering and communication.

'While The King's Speech tells a historical story, our work alongside the production is about continuing the conversation into the present day. What does it mean to live with a stammer in today's fast-paced world? How can we create environments where people are given the time and space to communicate in their own way? And how can the arts and media play a part in ensuring stammering is represented with greater authenticity and understanding?

'We are delighted to be opening up these conversations alongside The King's Speech and working with audiences, schools, young people, artists and communities throughout the tour."

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The SpeaKing Part brochure (courtesy of Alex Tabrizi)

STAMMA played a part by providing information on stammering for The SpeaKing Part's brochure (see picture).

At the workshop, the theatre was delighted to have Jessie Roux from BBC's The Traitors involved. Jessie sharing her own experience and helped bring real-life representation into the conversation.