The Smashed Project will return in 2019/2020 following the success of the powerful theatre-in-education program, that’s dedicated to breaking the culture of underage drinking and reducing alcohol-related harm in young people.
To date, Smashed has reached 46,995 Australian students through 270 performances at 229 schools across NSW, VIC, QLD and ACT.
The Smashed Project is being delivered at a time when the latest government survey findings from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that overall Australians are drinking less, that more underage Australians abstain from alcohol than ever before (82 per cent up from 54 per cent in 2004) and that drinking culture in Australia is generally improving.
Evaluation results reveal 98 per cent of students participating in Smashed say they are less likely to drink alcohol underage.
Smashed’s ability to impact students’ attitudes towards underage drinking even extends beyond the performance, with 99 per cent of participating teachers responding they now feel more confident talking to their students on the subject.
Delivered in Australia by educational theatre company Gibber Australia, CEO Tim Watt says Smashed continues to be an effective way to engage young teens on the risks of alcohol misuse because it brings the topic to life in a dynamic, credible way with the program currently delivered to schools globally.
“The results are clear that students and the teaching staff are responding well to our fun, interactive yet educational style of the program.”
“Young people in this age group don’t respond well to being lectured and value having open and honest conversations about drinking and how this can impact their physical and mental wellbeing,” says Watt.
The production also gives confidence and ideas to students on how to avoid and deal with peer group pressure.
A post-program evaluation study following last year’s Australian tour found that the education program improved student’s understanding, attitudes and behaviours towards drinking:
- Students increased their awareness of the impact underage drinking can have on their physical health by 33 per cent
- The proportion of students who said they know ‘lots about the dangers of underage drinking’ increased by 21 per cent to 72 per cent
- The proportion of students who say they know ‘lots’ about the term ‘sexual harassment’ after taking part in the project increased by 21 per cent to 62 per cent
- 91 per cent of students said they felt equipped to make the right choices about drinking after participating in the program
Touring across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, the education program is aimed at Year 8 and 9 students.
The flagship global education program will return again for its 2019/2020 program with the group to tour 171 local high schools in the following regions:
- Victoria – 18 November to 20 December 2019
- New South Wales – 10 February to 27 March 2020
- Queensland – 27 April to 17 June 2020
Funded by international drinks producer Diageo, Smashed is part of its ongoing commitment to preventative measures to reduce alcohol-related harm including from underage drinking.
Diageo Australia Managing Director David Smith noted on the partnership: “As an industry leader, Diageo takes a clear stand on supporting a positive alcohol culture among adults and reducing alcohol-related harm in our community through our Diageo in Society strategy.
“We’re proud to partner with Gibber in delivering The Smashed Project, a program which we know is welcomed by students and teachers across the country, providing them with an opportunity to share an open dialogue about the dangers and the long-term negative impacts of underage drinking,” says Smith.
The Smashed Project is funded by Diageo Australia as part of its commitment to reducing underage drinking and alcohol-related harm in the community. There is no reference to Diageo Australia or any of its brands in the performance or any of the materials shared with students and there is no visual branding of Diageo Australia or any of its brands in the set production.
