About the Trust Project
The TRUST Education Project aims to enable young men and women to develop healthy relationships based on respect, trust and equality and to be active citizens in creating communities that do not tolerate domestic abuse and sexual violence.
The objective of the project is to change attitudes of tolerance to violence by using drama to explore issues around healthy and unhealthy relationships. Young people create a piece of theatre that represents their understanding and outlook while also educating and informing the audience.
In working towards the performance, students explore issues around respect within relationships, good citizenship and positive communication skills. The performance is intended to send a clear message to the audience about equality, trust and respect. It is supported by a workshop whereby audience members can talk to the students about the play’s themes and issues.
The TRUST project was developed out of the work of Susie McDonald and Tamsin Larby, both commissioned by the South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre (SERICC) to design a peer education theatre project for the Thurrock RESPECT programme in 2000. RESPECT, created by Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust, has been running successfully since then, aiming to prevent violence at its root rather than deal with it as it escalates.
Three years later, Susie and Tamsin began to explore how the RESPECT model could work in London schools. With the funding of The Body Shop Foundation, they piloted the Trust Project in the summer of 2004, in 5 secondary schools in Lambeth, Lewisham, Hammersmith, Newham, and Westminster. Throughout 2005, Tender delivered TRUST to over 20 schools and youth projects. Between 2006 and 2009, the project will reach more than 100 schools and youth projects.
