Just before the Easter holidays commenced, six GCSE Drama pupils at King Edward’s Witley performed an adaptation of Matt Woodhead’s play ‘Who Cares’ which focuses on raising awareness about young carers.
Led by Lower Sixth pupil Azariah, the play’s dialogue was made up entirely of words from young carers from across the UK, who Matt Woodhead had interviewed to raise awareness of the difficulties these young people faced in their daily lives.
There are over 17,000 young carers in Surrey alone, and over 700,000 across the UK.
The pupils began work on the play in the Autumn Term and had worked closely with Azariah to develop a greater understanding of the play’s context.
Azariah said: “As a young carer for my mum, I find the subject so important and it is very special to me. I also found out that a lot of my peers are young carers, too. Whilst we followed Matt’s original script carefully, we also added some more verbatim and incorporated choreography and movement.”
‘A compelling performance’
Head, Mrs Joanna Wright added: “King Edward’s has a long tradition of philanthropy and addressing disadvantage and vulnerability. We offer welfare bursaries through the Bridewell Foundation, livery companies and other charities, for young people who are less advantaged and who have a particular need for a boarding education.
“It was so moving for me to watch such a compelling performance by our talented pupils, addressing this important subject of young carers so close to all our hearts.”
As part of the event, donations were raised for Surrey Young Carers and Lambeth Young Carers, both of which aim to provide support for Young Carers in the South.
King Edward’s Witley is a day and boarding school for girls and boys aged 11-18.
www.kesw.org
Over 40 pupils are supported by the Bridewell Foundation and other charities with financial contributions equal to annual boarding fees to attend the school.
