Brechtian Devised Piece - Refugees (4) (Research)

In this lesson, we ran everything we already had. We then added Robert into our existing scenes properly; this meant that we had to alter each scene. Moreover, we developed the circus-themed opening scene to make it more like an actual circus performance. "The Three Amigos" (Oliver, Lewis and James) were a slapstick trio in the opening, but are actually traffickers in the rest of the piece. Mine and Robert's entrance was like a comical Mission Impossible scene, whilst Rhiannon's entrance involved a 'magic trick' of her 'disappearing'. The rest of the lesson was discussion based, developing a final outline to work out what we still had left to do. We couldn't develop mine and Robert's or Charlie's scene until we had all done research on the topics as to ensure our piece was accurate.

Child Soldiers Research 

• (Independent website - http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/ten-facts-about-child-soldiers-that-everyone-should-know-8427617.html)
  
  • Approximately 300'000 child soldiers are fighting in at least 20 different countries
  • About 40% of child soldiers are girls. They're often used as sex slaves too.
  • Child soldiers are sued as they don't eat as much food, don't get paid and don't have a highly developed sense of danger.
  • Most of the groups who use child soldiers are anti-government rebels who are difficult to negotiate with.

• (Do Something website - https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-child-soldiers)
  
  • Some children are under the age of 10 when they are forced to serve.
  • Children who are poor, uneducated or live in combat zones are more likely to be forcibly recruited.

• (The Borgen Project - http://borgenproject.org/10-facts-child-soldiers/)
  
  • Some are forced to act violently towards their families and communities to ensure they don't return home
  • Since 2001 child soldiers have been recruited in 21 armed conflicts around the world.

• (The UN - https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/effects-of-conflict/six-grave-violations/child-soldiers/)
  
  • Many children are abducted and beaten into submission.
  • One of the common tasks assigned to children is to serve as porters, often carrying heavy loads, including ammunition or injured soldiers. Some children act as lookouts or messengers. They are also often used as suicide bombers.
  • They are commonly subject to abuse and most of them witness death, killing, and sexual violence.

• (War Child - https://www.warchild.org.uk/issues/child-soldiers)
  
  • A village may be forced to provide a certain number of children as soldiers in exchange for staying safe from attack.
    Some children are volunteered by their parents due to extreme poverty and hunger at home.

• (Unicef - http://www.unicef.org/graca/kidsoldi.htm)
  
  • Children are often deliberately brutalized in order to harden them into more ruthless soldiers.
  • Before battle young soldiers have been given amphetamines, tranquillizers and other drugs to "increase their courage" and to dull their sensitivity to pain.