Theatre enacts the recovery: Butterflies

In these anxious times, young people have been burdened with extraordinary uncertainty. The NSPCC reported a 33 per cent rise in referrals to specialist services for UK pupils needing mental health treatment. The charity Young Minds identified that one in six children aged between five and 16 have a suspected mental health problem in July 2021. Of those children and young people, 83 per cent said that the global pandemic had made their mental health worse. Theatre organisations such as Polka, Half Moon and Tangled Feet have recognised these problems and are playing a vital role in supporting schools in the recovery. Theatre offers young people the opportunity to control a narrative. This is particularly important during a time when they are navigating an overwhelming sense of loss and powerlessness.