Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Excluded: former pupils in spotlight in play about school system

Excluded: former pupils in spotlight in play about school system

Intermission’s theatre production features youths who have experienced the consequences of isolation first-hand
In a Victorian Gothic church behind Harrods in west London, a group of young people from troubled backgrounds have gathered to rehearse a play about school.

Excluded is a new production, set in a turbulent GCSE class in a London secondary school in 2019, that attempts to shine a light on the problems faced by vulnerable young people within the education system.

The content of the play is close to home. At an early workshop exploring the issues, it emerged that all but two of the young performers had been excluded from school. Some are care leavers, some have mental health problems, others have been young offenders. Many have been affected by the consequences of knife crime, which they link to the increasing number of exclusions.

“All the people who got locked out of education either got into drugs or into knife crime,” said 18-year-old Ilani Marriott-Lodge, who was herself excluded from classes in year 11 and put in isolation after she dyed her hair blonde.

“The rules were so insane.” She was forced to sit her exams on her own, and was then kicked out of college. “I felt like I had let my mum down,” she said.

Some said they felt let down by the education system, which failed to listen or understand their needs. “I used to get myself in trouble a lot,” said 19-year-old Rakiya Hasan, who was excluded but fought her way back into education and is now at university. Others she knows have not been so lucky.

“Once the system gives up on the student, that student is very, very vulnerable. Seeing it first-hand, people being stabbed and killed, people turning to drugs, it really breaks my heart when I hear some young person has been permanently excluded. It’s a very slim chance someone can come back from exclusion.”

Permanent exclusion rates in schools in England are at their highest for nearly a decade at 7,900 in 2017–8, equivalent to around 42 pupils permanently excluded per day. Almost eight out of 10 children who are permanently excluded come from vulnerable backgrounds.

The play is being put on by Intermission Youth Theatre (IYT), which uses drama to engage disadvantaged and alienated young people and is supported by patrons Naomie Harris and Mark Rylance. A 10-month drama programme culminates in a four-week run of Excluded, starting on 6 November, at the company’s base at St Saviour’s church in Walton Place.

“The cruelty of exclusion happens for many reasons,” said Rylance. “We have young people who are excluded from school, from family, from community, from themselves. Youth who need a mission to integrate themselves in a community by developing trust, expression and creative imagination and hopefully friendship through theatre-making.”

It’s a transformative experience for the young people involved. At a Monday night rehearsal, the mood is warm and good-humoured. Everyone is greeted with a hug; the performers throw themselves into their roles and enjoy making each other laugh. It feels like a really fun English lesson.

The play was written by Intermission’s artistic director Darren Raymond, who fell in love with drama – and Shakespeare in particular – while serving a three-year prison sentence. His previous works include an updated version of Othello set against a backdrop of urban violence. Like his proteges, he felt excluded by school and ended up bunking off to sell drugs.

“School is an important chapter that shapes all of our lives,” said Raymond. “With a record number of teachers leaving the profession, the exclusion of the arts in the curriculum and high levels of student exclusions, some would argue that education is in a state of crisis.

“It’s dangerous. The consequences are the things we are seeing now – young people out of control on the streets, and prepared to do anything without thinking of the consequences of their actions.”

Raymond’s play transports some of Shakespeare’s best known characters into the contemporary classroom. Hamlet’s father has died and his mental health is fragile, which leads to outbursts in class; Macbeth meanwhile has been permanently excluded for fighting and gets involved in county lines.

“I know people who have been permanently excluded from school and they found themselves down that path,” said 21-year-old Kai Mason. “In 2016 my friend was murdered. He was excluded from school. He didn’t have anything to do.” Mason spent much of year 11 in an isolation booth at school. “It felt like the day went on forever.

“I tried my best to be a good kid. I always seemed to end up in a situation where I was in trouble.” When his friend died he was left depressed and suicidal. Now, he’s planning to go to drama school.

Marriott-Lodge is also planning a career in acting and already has a number of stage appearances under her belt. “I’m so lucky. The amount of crap, the gang rubbish I’ve been through, I should be dead now.”

“I attended two funerals in the beginning of 2019 because of knife crime,” said Hasan. “It was so emotional. It doesn’t have to happen.”

She added that if more money was put into projects like Intermission, more lives could be turned around. “In Intermission they look at us as aspiring creatives. They really listen to what we want to do.

“Every kid, even those ones that are excluded, they are good kids, but they are misunderstood. At the end of the day, this is the future. You are letting a lot of talent, and a lot of brain, and a lot of ideas go to waste if you let these students go.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×