Tackling Bullying and Online Culture: Haringey Shed and SJLCT’s Transformative Theatre Project
Bullying and online culture affect young people deeply. Many struggle in silence, unsure how to speak about their experiences. Because these challenges continue to grow, SJLCT partnered with Haringey Shed to create a theatre project that helps children understand these issues safely and confidently.
This project uses performance, discussion and storytelling to support pupils. It encourages honest conversations, emotional awareness and early help-seeking. It also gives schools a practical tool to address online behaviour, mobile phone use and the pressures linked to digital life.
How the Project Began
SJLCT created this touring production to support children’s wellbeing. The trust focuses on mental health, compassion and early intervention. These values guided the development of the play.
Haringey Shed, an inclusive performing arts organisation, shaped the script and delivery. Their team specialises in child-centred productions. They build trust through creativity, movement and accessible language. Their approach allowed the play to reach children in a direct and meaningful way.
This project aligns with SJLCT’s mission. The trust supports mental health programmes that help children, families and schools build resilience, confidence and understanding.
Why This Play Matters
The production tackles bullying, online behaviour and social pressure in an age-appropriate manner. It also encourages kindness, self-reflection and responsibility. Children learn how digital actions can harm others. They also learn what steps to take if they feel unsafe or distressed.
The play highlights the importance of speaking to a trusted adult. It shows pupils that support exists and that they never need to face difficulties alone. Because bullying can create shame and isolation, normalising these conversations helps reduce fear, confusion and silence.
The children also take part in workshops after the performance. These sessions give them space to talk, ask questions and understand their feelings. Many pupils express relief after realising that others face similar experiences.
Dedicated to the Memory of Mia Janin
This project carries a powerful dedication. It honours the memory of Mia Janin, who tragically lost her life after experiencing online bullying.
Mia once attended Fitzjohn’s Primary School, one of the schools involved in developing the workshops. Her father continues to advocate for online safety. The dedication aims to protect other young people by raising awareness and encouraging early action.
SJLCT hopes this project helps prevent future harm by promoting compassion, responsibility and safe behaviour online.
Impact in Schools
Schools responded extremely positively to the programme. Staff described the play as clear, powerful and sensitively delivered. Children engaged openly and showed strong emotional understanding during the workshops.
A senior leader at Fitzjohn’s Primary School praised the production. She highlighted its accessible message and professional delivery. She also expressed support for producing a filmed version. A film would allow many more schools to access the project without logistical barriers.
Because the demand is high, the project will return to another twenty-five schools. There is also exploration into creating a film to reach even wider audiences.
A Successful Collaboration for Young People
Haringey Shed and SJLCT share a vision for early intervention, empathy and creative learning. This play helps schools address sensitive topics safely, while also supporting children who feel isolated or unsure about their experiences.
Through creativity and performance, the project helps pupils express their emotions, understand their behaviour and recognise when to seek support. SJLCT is proud to help schools strengthen their pastoral care through practical, engaging tools.
This collaboration demonstrates how theatre can support mental health. It brings children together, reduces stigma and builds emotional awareness in a way that feels natural and relatable.
You’re So Real Synopsis:
Alisha’s thirteen. She’s funny, creative and happy. She’s also the last one in her class to get a phone. When the big day comes, she discovers the wide world of social media. With her best friend, Tyler, along with school celebs Instagabs and Snapchat Seb, Alisha explores her new online playground. However, when nasty comments from an anonymous account drive her to lock herself in her room, can her friends work out how to help her and each other stay safe and happy online?
Partners:
Funded by the Sarah Jane Leigh Charitable Trust
Produced by Haringey Shed
Audience Feedback:
Feedback from schools has been overwhelmingly positive.
Deborah Moss, Deputy Head and Inclusion Manager at Fitzjohn’s Primary School, described the play as “first-class, delivering the messages in such an accessible and appropriate way for the intended audience.” She praised the cast for bringing the work to life in a way that deeply resonated with the children. We were so grateful to have had this and thank you enormously.
“Thank you so much for coming to see us, we did some end of year reflections this afternoon and several students mentioned the show as a highlight. It was fantastic and so well pitched for our children. For every single one of them to sit and watch with pretty much full attention for the whole duration was incredible and a testament to the brilliant work of Haringey Shed. It was also a very useful vehicle of conversation for all of them about how social media and comments can impact on mental health. You are welcome back at any time!!”
Teacher from The Vale School“It was an absolute pleasure to work with all of your team. The children loved the workshops and then of course, seeing their ideas come to life in the excellent performance yesterday. I really hope this will not be the end of the project and that it can be shown again as it really was such an impactful and important production, and definitely very close to our hearts. My colleague from New End contacted me too, to say how fantastic is was.”
Teacher from Fitzjohn Primary School
“I just want to say thank you sooo much to your company for coming in and delivering a fabulous piece of theatre to us at New End yesterday. The performance was outstanding, so creative and pertinent and cool! The company members were exceptionally talented, friendly and a joy to be around.
All of us thought it was amazing and it definitely got across some very important messages. We were so grateful to have had this and thank you enormously. I hope some of our children come along to Haringey Shed on the back of this.
Thank you once again for a tremendous experience.””
Teacher from New End Primary School
- “The best internet safety workshop ever”
- “Language, topics used, equipment were all linked to children. Amazing 😉”
- “They were fully engaged from start to finish”
- “Our children will be safer and happier as they have been equipped with safer online practices”
- “An effective and engaging performance. The consolidation/ review at the end is great”
- “Super engaging – our children were gripped”
- “Thank you! We’re so privileged to allow our students to access theatre”
- “Students could not take their eyes off the show- engaging and relatable”
Looking Ahead:
The success of this project has been so significant that there are already plans for a remount, with the aim of bringing the performance and workshops to another 20 schools. In addition, conversations are underway to create a film version, allowing the project to reach an even wider audience and provide ongoing resources for schools tackling issues of bullying, online culture, and mental health.
The Sarah Jane Leigh Charitable Trust are incredibly proud to have funded this production in partnership with Haringey Shed. We believe passionately in the power of theatre to transform lives, foster resilience, and give young people the confidence to ask for help when they need it most.
A Message from SJLCT
This project, dedicated to Mia Janin is more than a performance; it is a movement towards greater awareness, compassion, and support for children navigating the challenges of growing up in today’s digital age. By bringing these conversations into schools, we can begin to reduce stigma, build supportive networks, and encourage children to use their voices and lessen their phone use.
This collaboration between Haringey Shed and the Sarah Jane Leigh Charitable Trust was such a success, with feedback from schools emphasising its value, that it will be repeated in another 20 schools, with the exciting prospect of a film version to expand its reach even further.
Both SJLCT and Haringey Shed are very excited to commence the new project that will go out to Schools in February 2026.
