My name is Jade Williams, and I am the facilitator on the Breaking Barriers: Crossing The Line production. This is my second year being part of such an incredible project, and it feels fantastic to be back. Crossing The Line centres around a powerful 20-minute monologue performed by an actor, followed by a workshop where we unpack the themes of the piece together with the students.
We are currently halfway through our tour of primary schools across Greater Manchester, bringing the project to Year and sometimes Year classes. So far, we’ve already visited five schools, reaching over 300 children, and supporting staff to open up important and often difficult conversations around child criminal exploitation, county lines, grooming, and online safety.
I feel genuinely proud to work on a project as needed as this one. It inspires me every day to hear what the children think, notice, and feel about such serious subject matter. The welcome we receive in schools is always warm; staff are appreciative and understand the importance of equipping children with the awareness they need to keep themselves safe, especially within communities where these issues have real impact.
What continually amazes me is how deeply the children engage with the performance. They take it seriously, they listen intently, and they always have so much to say. Facilitating the workshop is one of my favourite parts of the job because their insights are powerful. The way they articulate their thoughts and pick up on key details from the monologue astounds me every single time.
The combination of a performance and a workshop really allows us to get to the heart of the issues. It creates a safe, structured space for children to explore and question what grooming and exploitation can look like and more importantly, what they can do if they’re ever worried about themselves or a friend. It’s a fantastic and effective way to open up conversations that might otherwise feel too big or too complex.
A personal highlight of this tour has been returning to my old primary school, Seymour Park Community Primary School. The staff made us feel incredibly welcome, and the children’s engagement was outstanding. It was a proud moment for me to see how strong the school’s sense of community still is, and how insightful and thoughtful the pupils are.
Additionally, working alongside Kamran, our actor, has also been incredibly inspiring. His sensitive and powerful portrayal of Sean allows the children to connect deeply with the themes of the piece. Kamran brings a real vulnerability to the performance, and the pupils pick up on this immediately. It invites them to empathise, ask questions, and see the human impact behind the issues we discuss. His performance is a huge part of why the children engage so openly and thoughtfully in the workshop that follows.
Being part of the Crossing The Line tour continues to be an honour. Each school we visit reinforces how essential this work is, and I’m grateful every day to play a role in helping