LINK_UP

What is LINK_UP?

LINK-UP is a new digital platform to “bring people together, to learn together”, at a distance, in a shared experience format, to encourage young people to think for themselves. LINK-UP is a unique engagement tool that combines interactive decision based drama with Personal Social & Health Education (PSHE) in schools and at home.

By developing a new digital format whereby young people watch Round Midnight’s ground breaking film Virtual_Decisions and interact with a live host, they are able to explore topics of significant challenge, in a safe space, whether this be in their classrooms or from the comfort of their own homes.

Using the Virtual_Decisions film allows young people to explore peer pressure; positive vs negative role models; joint enterprise; loyalty vs snitching; grooming; criminal exploitation and keeping yourself safe. These topics can be incredibly difficult for young people to discuss openly, but the LINK_UP programme creates a safe, anonymous, space for participants to share their thoughts and perhaps their concerns around these challenging issues.

Live Facilitation

Unlike other theatre based digital projects, LINK_UP involves live facilitation and a high level of interactivity.

Interactive

Unlike other remote digital platforms, LINK_UP is designed to be interactive so that participants can engage with important PSHE topics.

PSHE Specific

LINK_UP is a platform designed to open up virtual discussions about tough subject matters in the PSHE curriculum.

Flexible

LINK_UP will help PSHE educators to adapt to a changing climate. This digital platform allows participants to engage with PSHE topics both at home, and at school.

Research

During the research for LINK_UP we welcomed remote discussions with educators – from June to September 2020 – to further explore topics young people find challenging and to assess teaching approaches to ensure LINK_UP’s relevancy and impact.

Development

Whilst the LINK_UP programme was in development, we worked very closely with our project partners at BDH Immersive in order to make sure that both the brand new technology and the content were ready for audiences.

What is next?

We are excited about the future of LINK_UP and are looking forward to running live trials with focus groups across February and March of 2021. To follow our journey with this exciting new tech please find us on social media.

Combining Theatre with Technology to support PSHE Educators

LINK_UP Learning Objectives:

Learning Objective One: To recognise the influence others have over us

Outcomes: The participants will be able to:

Discuss their understanding of positive vs negative role models and peer pressure
Explain how to spot the signs of a negative role model
Teach others how to spot the red flags of negative role models (i.e. signs grooming and intentions behind a friendship) and discuss these influences with adults/positive figures

Learning Objective Two: To recognise the risk of technology in our social circles

Outcomes: The participants will be able to:

Discuss their understanding of joint enterprise
Explain how to use their tech for good in risk taking situations (reporting incidents without the fear of “snitching”)
Teach others about joint enterprise and raise awareness around the filming and sharing of harmful content as a criminal act

Learning Objective three: To recognise the skills it takes to 'keep yourself safe'

Outcomes: The participants will be able to:

Discuss their understanding of what it takes to ‘keep yourself safe’, particularly in a risk taking environment
Explain the signs of criminal exploitation
Teach others the tools it takes to ‘keep yourself safe’ as a young person

Research

We are currently running consultations with schools to help us in our research for LINK_UP. We are thankful for the educators and pupils who have supported us in our research phases. Without this support, we wouldn’t be able to conduct our research so thoroughly.

In our research we have so far reached over 100 young people via:

"We were honored to be involved in supporting the development of an online platform that will help to support not just our students but all young people. The students have enjoyed being apart of the research process and have also commented how they can see the benefits of being able to access this type of platform."

Mr Mills

Heath Park School

"It’s been a really enlightening experience to speak to the students in a capacity we don’t usually have time for, about how they have spent their time, and has given an insight into how they have grown in their moral and mental well-being during lockdown."

Mrs Pound

Colton Hills

"These specific and targeted questions encouraged children to not only evaluate the importance of the PSHE curriculum, how it relates to their education and how they would like it delivered, but also encouraged them to think about the importance that this programme has within their personal lives and how it could be applied as they continue to grow and develop during young adulthood."

Mr Smith

Head of Year at Hamstead Hall Academy in Handsworth

Funded by:

Interested in LINK_UP?

We would love to hear from you! For more information, please contact us:

PHONE : 0121 440 8188

EMAIL : info@roundmidnight.org.uk

Alternatively, fill out the form on this page and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.