COLLEGE students have been performing to primary and secondary schools across south Essex as part of an anti-bullying project.

Drama students from South Essex College worked over a two-day period to deliver har d hitting messages on cyberbullying to primary and secondary school students across 25 South Essex schools .

The project is jointly drive n by Essex Police and Southend Borough Council, and was put into action five years ago by PC Gary Collard, a Southend Youth Officer, along with Sarah Doney, course team leader at the college .

The pair devised the project to enable the students to work on a live brief while educating children in schools .

PC Collard visited the students beforehand in order to tell them about some reallife case studies and more information about cyber - bullying .

The aspiring actors then used this information to devise a piece as part of their diploma.

PC Collard praised the students for their help in the project.

He said: “The feedback from the schools has been fantastic .

This year’s actors were brilliant, the messages were really strong and well delivered.

“Although this programme has only been delivered in Southend schools, we aim to film the plays so that we can give a DVD to other schools countywide.”

Sarah Doney says she’ s delighted with the success of the project, and aims for it to be rolled out again next year .

She said: “This live community project enables professional bodies to collaborate and produce theatre that is factual, educational and also entertaining .

“The performance acts as a stimulus for follow-up discussion in schools. We hav e received outstanding reviews and have seen that this creative performance project really does makeadifference .

“The students have had a unique experience and have enjoyed all aspects of the work .

The collaboration between the council, Essex Police and South Essex College is again a great success and we hope to continue with this work next year.”

Joseph Mabena, a drama student at South Esse x College, believes the experience will help students in schools and provide the drama students with valuable acting experience .

He said: “It’s been grea t working with the police. The information that they hav e given us to create our piece has been really quite interesting .

“We’ve learnt new things about cyberbullying and it has helped us with our productions. The quicker w e send these important messages out the better.”