Carefully designed tools to help educate the youth of today to deal with modern social issues.

Zik-Zak mini-plays are designed to assist parents, educators and mentors create an emotional space to help kids, teens and young adults to face challenges successfully.

Participants, will through the lens of the characters portrayed, access emotional intelligence enabling them to explore difficult subjects without feeling they are being scrutinised or judged.

The plays are hard-hitting, but never traumatising. They can be used exactly as they are, or as a framework to adapt to the needs of the kids.

Getting the most from Zik-Zak mini-plays

Pick the right mini-play

Identify a mini-play by topic.

For the purposes of this demonstration, we’ll use “A Bumpy Ride”, available for free download here.

Adapt to your audience

Think about the participants.

Distribute copies of the lines. Change names if necessary. Encourage everyone to adapt the language used, ask them to use slang terms or colloquial terms if appropriate.

Help your participants see themselves in the key characters. The more involved they are here, the better the outcome.

Act Out!

With all parts assigned, act out the play.

Encourage them to put as much effort into the lines as possible, playing out the parts and pushing themselves into the roles. This will help everyone engage in the content, and it will be fun too!

If you have additional members not taking part – don’t worry, the play will keep them engaged. The kids will want the session to last longer.

Group Q&A

The questions at the end of each play are appropriate to the topic and designed to encourage heartfelt discussion. Use them to guide a conversation with all present.

Acting out the play and freely engaging in the following discussion will sensitise all – educators and kids – to the dangers and pitfalls highlighted in each topic.

It will encourage all to employ sound protocols that protect. It will help others to seek help. All will gain confidence.

Perform

Educate

Protect