Outside the Circle

Outside the Circle tells the story of child who experiences name-calling and teasing because he is considered by his peers to be 'different'. He experiences sensations of confusion, anger, isolation and low self esteem, before his teacher intervenes to help him, and change the behaviour of the other children. By taking the audience on this emotional journey, it is hoped to increase empathetic understanding of how it feels to be made fun of and teased and called names. Crucially children are encouraged to understand that all name calling is wrong, and that we all are different and have the right to be respected for what we are. The story should be open to interpretation as a story about 'difference' and 'bullying'. It need not be understood as a story about racism for younger children. However, children, particularly children in predominantly white schools, will encounter racism, and the project is intended to enable you to open consideration of anti-racism within your school. The project will provide a starting point for work on anti-racism in schools. For use with years 2-6 (ages 5-12 approx.)