Testimonials

“Various settings in Worcestershire have booked Rob to perform his Boy In The Photograph presentation, including middle and high schools and multi-agency conferences for professionals. Schools that have booked the performance have always been extremely pleased with the impact of Rob's performance for their pupils. Young people and staff alike have found the performance emotive and easy to relate to - I suspect we have all experienced some of the feelings described through the performance at some point in our lives. The performance has previously been used to set the scene for whole-school Anti-Bullying days, helping pupils to focus their minds on this issues and raising understanding and empathy. Alongside the performance, Rob's skills and expertise in drama have also encouraged Worcestershire schools to explore these sensitive issues in creative ways. I have no hesitation in recommending Rob to other settings, either as a creative practitioner and anti-bullying professional, or to deliver The Boy in the Photograph as a stand alone intervention.”

Hannah Cridford, Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator at Worcestershire County Council.

“Our PSHE and Healthy Schools Team has worked with Robert Higgs for a number of years in Derby City promoting his drama The Boy in the Photograph. I first watched the hard hitting play back in November 2006 and witnessed a group of streetwise Year 9 boys sitting in silence, stunned by the performance and shocked by the account of bullying - and the despair, anger and aggression that bullying can cause, played out in front of your very eyes.

The play is then well balanced with a workshop session which gives pupils the opportunity to explore some of the issues in the play and to talk about strategies for responding to bullying.

Schools in Derby City were keen to invite Rob back on more than one occasion and felt that the play was very effective in engaging with young people on the issue of bullying and in asking them to reflect on their own behaviour and its impact on others. For this reason some of the schools choose to target particular groups of students to watch the performance.

I have always found Rob to be very approachable, reliable and professional. He is always happy to accommodate the needs of individual schools and takes on board feedback and makes changes to his work based on this. I would recommend enquiring about the play and the other work in Rob's portfolio as part of your anti-bullying strategy”

Joanne Moore, Healthy Schools Consultant at Derby City Council