A is for Amy tells the story of Amy, a young person who finds themselves drawn into an abusive relationship with her older boyfriend, Dean.
Through the course of the play, Dean’s control over Amy gradually grows until, with the help of people around her, she manages to leave him and begin to rebuild her life.
The play supports young people to navigate what is healthy/toxic in relationships (from the perspective of both friendships and intimate relationships), where to find support/safety & how to helpfully respond to worrying signs in their friends’ relationships.
Written and directed by Newcastle-based writer Zoe Murtagh and co-produced with local young people, A is for Amy has been created specifically for young people. It has been developed in response to demand from young people that Changing Relations, and our stakeholders, work with and people attending our adult-oriented domestic abuse awareness-raising activities.
The need for this work is particularly evidenced by the shocking statistic that a quarter of 13-17 year old girls experience intimate partner violence (the highest of any age group) yet teenage support service referrals are low.
This made it clear that it is vital for young people to be given the tools to be on the lookout for their peers, be better equipped to understand the red flags of their unhealthy relationships and to understand where support can be accessed, empowering them to help themselves and each other.
While A is for Amy is fictional, it is based on real life experiences and insights of young people Changing Relations has worked with; both in this theatre development project and in the earlier creation of our book Sometimes it Hurts which was published in 2021. Sometimes it Hurts is a series of 6 short stories and this theatre production expands on the chapter about Amy’s story.
Young people involved in the development of A is for Amy additionally shared that they hoped it would help their peers:
- Recognise good and bad relationship characteristics (from the perspective of both friendships and intimate relationships)
- Understand they have choices
- Have the skills to helpfully approach someone they are concerned about
- Feel empowered
Performances
We have a number of performances coming up at The Little Theatre, 1 Saltwell View, Gateshead NE8 4JS. Links to book your place are provided below:
AFTERNOON 1pm Thursday 19th October Book here
EVENING 7pm Thursday 19th October Book here
(Our evening performance includes a Q&A with some of the team behind the production!)
MORNING 11am Friday 20th October Book here
In recognition of the financial pressures many find themselves under, we are offering all tickets to A is for Amy on a pay as you feel basis. Whether you can afford to contribute financially or not, we would love to see you at the performance, but any contribution made will be used to take A is for Amy (and the associated workshop) to more young people - giving them the tools to form better, healthier relationships and to signpost their friends to support where they spot red flags.
Young people attending the performances with their school, college or youth group will also take part in a workshop which will further support them to recognise the signs of unhealthy relationships and where they can access support.
If you would be interested in bringing a group of young people to the performance and accessing the supporting workshop we have devised, please contact our Creative Producer, Kate Gorman: [email protected]
None of this would be possible without the support of the funders who saw the value in what we hope to achieve with this project: Arts Council England, Scotto Trust, The National Lottery Community Fund Awards For All, and Community Safety Fund managed by County Durham Community Foundation:
