What happens when a moment of violence changes everything?
Two 16-year-olds navigate a coercive relationship and its escalating consequences. A single moment leads to serious legal consequences that will reshape their futures forever.
This is the story at the heart of The Youth Theatre Project—a ground-breaking collaboration between Peninsula Community Legal Centre and Melbourne’s acclaimed Red Stitch Theatre. Based on real experiences from young people, our production tackles the issues that matter most: family violence, coercive control, consent, and the legal realities teenagers face today.
But this isn’t just theatre. It’s transformation.
This live performance creates an immediate, emotional truth that stays with students long after the final scene. Through powerful storytelling and guided discussion, young people don’t just learn about these issues; they develop the empathy, critical thinking, and confidence to recognise and respond to real-world situations.
In 2026, we’re bringing this life-changing experience to over 5,000 students across local secondary schools. Will your school be part of the conversation?
Join us for the premiere
Wednesday 26 November 2025
George Jenkins Theatre, Frankston
Contact theatre@pclc.org.au to secure your tickets.
See the production that's about to reach 5,000+ young lives.
Before we bring this transformative experience to schools across the region, we’re opening the curtains for you. Join Peninsula Community Legal Centre and Red Stitch Theatre for an exclusive premiere that offers more than just a performance. It’s your window into the future of legal education and violence prevention.
As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, this premiere brings together the people who make change happen: educators shaping young minds, family violence workers supporting survivors, and community leaders creating safer spaces.
What to expect:
- The complete theatrical experience your students will receive
- Exclusive post-show panel with the Director and Writer—learn about the creative process, the research behind the story, and the power of theatre for social change
- Meaningful connections with professionals across education and family violence sectors
- Insights into how local organisations, councils, and educators are already supporting this vital work
- Direct access to information about local support services and partnership opportunities
Student Safety and Wellbeing
Download our Safety and Wellbeing Framework for more information on our trauma-informed approach to keeping students safe and well.
PCLC's interactive play empowers young people to recognise the red flags of coercive control, family violence and consent.
We know these are sensitive issues, and the safety and wellbeing of students is paramount. That’s why every aspect of the performance and workshop has been developed with care, guided by our Safety and Wellbeing Framework.
This framework ensures the experience is positive and supportive, with clear processes in place to minimise the risk of distress while maximising opportunities for learning and connection.
Download the framework to learn more about our guiding principals, consultations with survivor advocates and subject matter experts, our content development process and our trauma-informed delivery.
Why this project matters
Family and gender-based violence is one of the most pressing issues facing our communities today:
- 1 in 4 Australian women has experienced violence by an intimate partner.
- On average, one woman is killed every week by a current or former partner.
- In Victoria, police respond to a family violence incident every six minutes — and children are present in nearly one-third of those cases.
- Young people are directly affected: 57% of gender and sexually diverse young people report verbal assault, 29% sexual abuse, and 28% say these experiences occurred at school.
These figures highlight why prevention and early education are critical. Young people are not only witnesses — they are victims, bystanders, and future decision-makers. The Youth Theatre Project responds by helping students build awareness, empathy, and pathways to safety before patterns of violence take hold.
About Red Stitch Theatre
Red Stitch Actors Theatre is a Melbourne-based, actor-led ensemble company established in 2001, known for producing award-winning contemporary theatre, including new Australian works, and nurturing theatre-makers. The company is artist-driven, with a reputation for high-quality productions that engage with the complexities of the human experience.
Renowned for bold, contemporary productions, Red Stitch brings their artistry and integrity to this project, ensuring the performances are not only powerful but deeply authentic.
Our experience in theatre based prevention
PCLC’s “This is Not Who I Want to Be” youth theatre project ran from 2022 to 2024 and was an award winning preventative community legal education initiative for CALD secondary students.
In November 2024 the project received a bronze award in the community-led category of the 2024 Australian Crime and Prevention Awards. You can hear more about the project in this video.
