FLOCK
By
Lin Coghlan
A new play inspired by the lives of young people in care.
Why are we producing Flock?
2009-2020 saw a 28% increase in looked after young people. After years of collaborating with multiple award-winning writer Lin Coghlan to create drama programmes for those with experience of the care sector, Playing ON have commissioned her to write our next professional production inspired by the people she’s met and the stories she’s heard.
Flock seeks to contribute to the still urgent discussion through championing their first hand experience and giving voice to the stories of their lives.
There is a saying in art that in order to be universal you have to be specific. Having spent over 100 hours on our Raising the Roof programmes engaging in both structured and informal conversations with care experienced participants, Lin has captured the specificity of being a looked after child. In doing so she has written a piece which depicts the essence of familial love, which speaks to us all.
We have heard countless anecdotes, which have influenced the events and characters within the play. Memories of school teachers publicly singling out looked after children because they are not able to bring a letter from their parents. Sleepovers with friends being impossible to arrange due to the wait for authorisation from social services. One participant told us that if they were ever told they looked familiar they would wonder if their birth father was in the vicinity and how would they know having never met them. A reoccurring theme was adults who had been a positive influence in their lives. The professionals who had gone above and beyond their role, which sometimes involved bending the rules; giving snacks or phone credit, calling out of hours etc. These people have all influenced the characters in FLOCK and they carry the themes of the play with beauty and truth.
Who is Flock for?
This play is a powerful story of the triumph of one brother and sister’s relationship against all odds. It is accessible to a wide audience, and may offer particular insights to those with a social care background alongside providing an opportunity for those with experience of the care system to see their story told. Teachers, social workers and others who work alongside care experienced young people have suggested that everyone who is in these roles should see the show to make them better in their work.