Date: Friday 21st May 2010
Time: 10am – 11.30am
Location: Birmigham Town Hall, Lower Bar
Details: Drama students will be hoping to stop shoppers and city workers in their tracks on Friday (May 21st) with a series of eye-catching street theatre vignettes depicting what it’s like to be a foster child.
The thought-provoking performances are to be staged throughout the day on New Street, Victoria Square and Rotunda Square as part of national Foster Care fortnight which started on Monday (May 17th).
Birmingham City Council’s fostering service has recruited 20 students from the Birmingham School of Acting’s Community and Applied Theatre and Dance Theatre course .
The aim is to get the public thinking about issues around fostering – and to consider becoming a foster carer themselves.
Jacquie Smith, senior fostering manager at Birmingham City Council, said: “The experience of being fostered can be an emotional rollercoaster.
“These street performances deal with issues such as exclusion, attachment, family upheaval and other experiences and new beginnings those who have been fostered will be familiar with.
“We felt street drama would be the most powerful way of communicating with the public. The students have created brilliant short performances that are moving, thought-provoking and hopefully will get people thinking about becoming a foster carer.”
The street performances will form a key part at a launch of a campaign by the Council’s fostering service on Friday to recruit 100 new foster carers locally for city children.
Particularly needed are foster carers for teenagers and children aged ten upwards.
The campaign is backed by significant increases in fees paid to foster carers. The maximum amount a week that can now be earned through the service is £430 per child and the lowest amount is £264.
Birmingham Council’s fostering service was recently upgraded to “good” from “satisfactory” by Ofsted which noted several areas of “outstanding” provision.
Friday’s launch starts at the Town Hall at 10am where the drama students will put on their first performance before taking to the streets.
Birmingham’s Lord Mayor Cllr Michael Wilkes, foster carers, foster care leavers, fostering managers from Birmingham City Council and national representatives of the Fostering Network will be attending the launch.
Notes to Editors
• Birmingham has 536 foster carers who care for about 900 children
• Foster children can be any age between birth and 17
• New foster carers must be aged between 23 and 60 and live in or within a 25 mile radius of Birmingham
• The average age of a foster carer within the service is currently 51 years old.
• The service currently has a shortage of carers for babies and toddlers who have been exposed to drug or alcohol during their mother’s pregnancy or those who have complex needs
• There is also a shortage of carers for sibling groups, boys, children of mixed parentage and children with special needs
ENDS
Further information from Shahid Naqvi 0121 303 3635/07920 750005.
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