Powerful docudrama created to explore negative effects of discrimination and hate on communities

New Vic Borderlines the award-winning Staffordshire based initiative using theatre in social contexts has heard from hundreds of local people who have inspired a theatrical documentary-drama exploring the negative effects of discrimination, prejudice and hate on communities.

New Vic Borderlines is offering free, live-streamed performances of Unite – It’s Not As Simple As Black and White to educational institutions and community groups, thanks to project funding from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Faith, Race and Hate Crime Grants Scheme.

The 45-minute play, based on experiences shared as part of the Staffordshire-wide project Unite – It’s Not As Simple As Black and White, will have live-streamed performances twice a day from Monday 10 May until Friday 28 May 2021.

The Unite – It’s Not As Simple As Black and White project, launched by New Vic Borderlines, Port Vale FC Foundation Trust, Sporting Communities CIC and Mackman Group, has so far engaged almost 2000 local people. It combines the power of sport and theatre with the aim of uniting communities and preventing discrimination and prejudice.

Rehearsals begin later this month for the cast, which includes Daniel Braimah (Endz, The Pleasance Theatre; Pronoun, Soho Theatre); Vaneeka Dadhria (Cyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre, West End); Shanice Harris (Waiting For, New Vic Theatre; Taking Up Space, Kwanzaa Collective); Jonny Khan (Level Up, Bush Theatre; Dungeness, Theatre Royal Stratford East); andAl Maxwell (Earthquakes in London, The Laramie Project and 62 Sperm Whales, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School).

New Vic Borderlines Director Susan Moffat, said:

“The only colours that matter in football are the colours on your shirt. This is the anchoring concept we are using to explore the destructive nature of racism, through the Unite – It’s Not As Simple As Black and White project and performance.

“The play uses the real experiences of people to tell a powerful story about the harm of discrimination, prejudice and hate; and gives the audience opportunities to explore, with the characters, the role we can all play in ending racism.”

Port Vale FC Foundation Trust Community Manager Will Turner said: “Football is a powerful metaphor to use to help unite people. The opposition sides compete against each other and the fans have different views, however, within the game there is respect, understanding, shared values and rules, which both sides abide by. As a team and a city we are uniting against racism and hate of all forms. Port Vale FC via the Port Vale Foundation have a strategic aim to increase community cohesion in Stoke-on-Trent and this project does exactly that.”

Unite – It’s Not As Simple As Black and White will be available as a live stream to schools, colleges, universities, community groups and voluntary organisations from Monday 10 May to Friday 28 May 2021. For more information, and to book a performance, email amahmood@newvictheatre.org.uk.