Shaun Parker & Company to Stage Virtual Performance of ‘The Yard’ for Schools
National Day of Action Against Bullying, March 19
Ahead of the National Day of Action Against Bullying, 19 March 2021, Sydney independent dance organisation Shaun Parker & Company is preparing to perform their award-winning anti-bullying show The Yard, via live stream for schools and educators around the country.
With themes including bullying (both in real life and cyber bullying), peer pressure, social exclusion, and emotional resilience, The Yard is a compelling and physical dance theatre depiction of the bullying that continues to take place amongst young people around the country.
Performed by five young and diverse dancers, some of whom experienced bullying firsthand when starting school as migrants years ago, The Yard tackles sensitive issues by allowing students to be voyeurs into other peoples’ behaviour rather than feel lectured or questioned themselves.
An award-winning show, previous audiences have reported that after watching the dance:
- 95% said they would not bully again
- 85% said they felt more resilient against the effects of bullying
- 88% said they had learned ways to help a bullying victim
Choreographer of The Yard Shaun Parker was himself bullied as a teen, making this project one that is very close to his heart, and the online performance is designed to enable remote and interstate schools with access to an important work on a very important day.
“Staging the online performance on the National Day of Action Against Bullying was a deliberate decision in order to provide schools, teachers, and educators with a great tool to start or continue the conversation about bullying,” Shaun said. “Sadly bullying does not yet appear to be going away, and the rise of cyber bullying in particular is a concern to anyone who cares about children and young people. If The Yard can make even just one person rethink bullying behaviour, we are succeeding.”
