The Curriculum for Life programme is designed to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and teacher’s pastoral care, fitting in with schools’ PSHE agendas.

M6 has created a film and facilitator/teacher pack for each of three live performances and facilitated workshops that toured to Rochdale secondary schools from 2016 to 2020.   

The Storm (ages 10-14) confronts the climate emergency. View

Clueless (ages 13-16) raises awareness of emotional and mental health issues and serious self-harm. View

Hench (ages 13-16) looks at what it means to be strong and how, for boys and young men, being strong may not always be the best way to stay well. View

The resources are intended to be used by professionals working with young people and consist of two interlinked elements: 

• An intimate, emotionally charged, single voice play which provides a powerful stimulus to provoke meaningful and important peer discussion around the issues of emotional and mental health. 
• An accompanying facilitators pack, which has a range of follow up activities designed to explore the issues raised within the drama. They also provide professionals with an opportunity to signpost their young people to the pastoral support available within their own setting, as well as specialist mental health support services. The Storm also includes a science based follow up educational resource.

Cost: Free for Rochdale schools. Fee highly subsidised for schools outside of Rochdale.

“Targeted many of the issues our students face; mental health, abuse, self-harm. It really ‘hit home’ for many of them. This was tangible as they were totally immersed by the play." Teacher, St Cuthbert’s High School on Hench

“This is excellent practice. Clueless had a huge impact on both the young people and the adults present.” Key Worker, Rochdale Connections Trust on Clueless

“In all the 16 years of teaching here that was the most engaged I’ve ever seen the students” Teacher on The Storm

A fourth digital performance, Crossing the Line by Parvez Qadir, explores issues of identity, belonging and exploitation for a seventeen year old lad in a seemingly impossible situation.  Funded by the Home Office Building Stronger Britain Together, in partnership with Breaking Barriers, this resource can be found here

The Storm by Nicola Schofield was originally commissioned by Rochdale Borough Council. Clueless by Mary Cooper has been commissioned by NHS Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale CCG in partnership with Pennine Care NHS and Healthy Young Minds Rochdale. Hench by Mary Cooper was researched with young people in the North West, supported by Healthy Young Minds and funded by NHS Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale CCG in partnership with Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.