Wordsmithery*

New play about human trafficking shines light on a hidden problem 

London-based Rah Rah Theatre Company are touring a new play about human trafficking at venues around the Southeast in October 2015, to raise awareness for World Anti-Slavery Day (18 October 2015). There are an estimated 30 million slaves in the world, with approximately 13,000 in the UK. Modern day slavery victims include: women forced into prostitution, 'imprisoned' domestic staff, and workers in fields, factories, building sites and fishing boats.

Jude Spooner, founder of Rah Rah, commissioned playwright Sam Hall to tell stories of human trafficking in the play, MY MIND IS FREE, which tours venues in London and the Southeast this October, supported by Arts Council England.

Jude and Sam were inspired to team up on the play to raise awareness of this injustice in the UK. Playwright Sam, whose work has been produced in London and Italy, was first inspired to start researching human trafficking after being approached by Merton Against Trafficking to write some stories for a fundraising event in 2014. ‘Once I started looking into it, I knew this was an issue that I had to investigate further.’

Jude, as well as being managing director of Rah Rah and a professional director is also part of New Malden Abolition group, a group set up to help the charity Hope For Justice  which exists to put a stop to human trafficking and slavery in our generation. Before she joined the group she was unaware that modern day slavery was actually happening in the UK and was shocked by the facts she discovered. Her goal is to share her knowledge about this modern day crime and to create an artistic response to this, which will both provoke and disturb in equal measures.

MY MIND IS FREE tells the stories of some of the people who have fallen into what can only be described as modern day slavery. Sam has done extensive research with anti-trafficking charities, Merton Against Trafficking, Blythswood Care, The Medaille Trust and ECPAT UK, and the play is inspired by true life stories from victims, which have then been fictionalised.

Where possible, each performance will also have a speaker from an anti-trafficking charity so the audience can find out more about what to do if they think somebody is being trafficked near them.

Twitter: @MindFreeThePlay

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