College performers deliver anti-crime message

PERFORMING arts students from Coleg Sir Gâr are helping to demonstrate the consequences of crime to young people.

A theatre in education style performance featuring students from the Graig campus in Llanelli was held at Theatr Elli.

Around 1,000 year seven pupils from the Ammanford, Carmarthen and Llanelli areas went along to the show, which was also open to the public.

The main performance featured a character called Jay and the moral issues she faces in life around her young friends and family. The show delivers emotional storylines and explosive performances using free-running, street dance and hip-hop.

Following the performance, the pupils took part in workshops with the police, the prison service, magistrates and youth offending team.

“For the first time in five years, the performance was opened to the public as well as the schools because we felt that this important message could be extended to the general public,” said Eleanor Shaw, course leader for performing arts at the college. “Every year, this project is enjoyed by our students who get so much experience from the event and we’re very keen to help the police in their messages against crime.”

The event was part-funded by the Carmarthenshire Community Safety Partnership which includes the council, police and other agencies working together to make the county a safer place.

The council’s executive board member for community safety Councillor Pam Palmer said:  “The aim was to educate young people rather than use shock tactics, however, the workshop still served to point out the harsh realities of entering the criminal justice system.

“Figures show Carmarthenshire is one of the safest places to live in the UK but our aim is to make the county an even safer place.”