Using drama as a tool for educating young people about accessing health services – a comparison of two approaches

Describes using drama to raise some of the main health issues facing young people, inform them about local services and give them an opportunity to explore their fears and anxieties about accessing services in a rural area. The drama was targeted at 14‐15‐year‐olds on two consecutive years. In the first year, the drama was performed by actors; and the second year, the script was re‐written and performed by college students. The effectiveness of each year’s production was evaluated. Both years’ productions were seen by about 800 young people. In both years the evaluation showed that the drama was successful in informing young people about local health services and addressed their main anxieties; but in the second year, many of the young people commented positively on the age of the cast and how they identified with both them and their portrayal of the issues. As a result, the drama has become a regular yearly event in the secondary schools in this rural area.