Show is tackling emotional issue (From Halesowen News)

Show is tackling emotional issue

11:20am Wednesday 25th July 2012 in Local

A TALENTED group of borough foster teens are putting in final rehearsals for their most ambitious and emotive project to date.

Chatback Productions will be taking over Netherton Arts Centre this weekend as they premier their live musical performance called ‘Toxic Pull’.

The musical has been written and performed by the talented youngsters, who are all either in foster care or are the birth children of foster carers and will force the audience to consider the care system from its most dangerous perspective – the toxic pull between the looked after child and the biological parent.

The group, who are aged between 11 and 18 years old, secured£30,000 fromthe Youth Music Open Programme to stage the extravaganza, which follows the story of three sisters separated by the care system, who are reunited for one night in a strange club called ‘The Toxic Pull’.

Chatback co-leader, Jane Ahmed, said: “This a very unique musical about a very emotive subject for looked afterchildren.Wewantedtodo something which explained whysomeyoungpeople in care react the way they do and how psychological damage can distort their thought and action processes.

“The children have worked so hard putting this together and they are all really excited about performing it.”

The show, which is being staged at 1pm,4pmand7pmon Saturday and Sunday, is also being professionally filmed – funded in part by Dudley Rotary Club – with the film, musical score and script being sent out to every school in the country, which can then be used in GCSE drama lessons.

Tickets for the showare free, but need to be obtained beforehand by emailing Jane on janeahmed55@gmail.com.