A theatre production that explores children's perspective of grief and bereavement has been quite the hit with school pupils.
Grandma on the Moon, commissioned by Headstart Kernow, part of Cornwall Council, tells the story of two siblings on a quest to find their grandmother after her death.
The story revolves around Timmy, 10, who understands death as an irreversible event, and his five-year-old sister Poppy, who is determined to find their grandma to "tell her something really important".
The Az2B Theatre Company brought the story to life using drama, music, movement, and narration.
In the past month, the production has seen five performances in Liskeard, St Austell, and Penzance, attended by pupils from 17 schools.
The production, funded by the council's Resettlement Service and Awena, Cornwall's Virtual School, was described by the young audience as "heartfelt" and "extremely funny".
Tracy Bowers, Headstart Kernow workforce development lead with Cornwall Council, said: "A grandparent passing away is often a child’s first experience of death and means that they are not only managing the loss of that person but also the confusing and sometimes scary questions about death itself.
"Grandma on the Moon is a beautiful story which seeks to address this, raising awareness and understanding of the bereavement process from a child’s perspective and encouraging us to have open, honest conversations."
The initiative received high praise from councillor Barbara Ellenbroek, cabinet member for children and families at Cornwall Council, who said: "Helping our children and young people deal with grief is extremely important so I’m delighted this play, commissioned by our brilliant people at Headstart Kernow, is proving such a success."
Belinda Lazenby, artistic director at Az2B Theatre Company, expressed her delight at the initiative: "It is wonderful that Headstart have commissioned these performances across Cornwall, they really value the power of The Arts to make a difference in children’s lives."
The production's success has prompted the organisers to plan more performances of Grandma on the Moon in 2025.
For more information on how your school can get involved, contact tracy.bowers@cornwall.gov.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here