Amnesty International announced this morning that Cora Bissett’s Roadkill is the winner of the 2010 Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The award, which is given to "an outstanding play carrying a human rights message", was presented at a reception event in Charlotte Square. Roadkill, by Ankur and Pachamama Productions for the Traverse Theatre, is based on the experience of a young woman that writer-director Cora Bissett met in Glasgow who had been trafficked to Scotland. The production uses theatre with video and animation to illustrate the woman's predicament.
“Having your work acknowledged by Amnesty International means an awful lot," said Bissett.
“I’ve wanted to use theatre to explore the issue of sex trafficking for some time. I hope that Roadkill really underlines that this is happening in our own neighbourhoods and we all have a responsibility to do something about it."
A record number of 64 productions entered for the award this year. Entries for the Freedom of Expression Award were then visited by Amnesty reviewers and a panel of professional theatre critics.
John Watson, Amnesty International's Scotland Programme Director and one of the Award judges, said: “The judges felt that Roadkill did something that great theatre often does - shake people up. It’s a worthy winner of the award and I defy anyone to see the play and not want to do something afterwards to stop sex trafficking."
“The award encourages Fringe performers to tackle human rights issues and all of the shortlisted plays show that this can lead to some fantastic theatre. We know that the arts have a real power to engage people with difficult topics and this year’s winner does that in spades.”
Joyce McMillan, theatre critic for The Scotsman and Award judge, said:
“On a Fringe not short of shows that try to explore or exploit the theme of sex-trafficking, this is the one that is beautiful, brilliant and powerful enough to break into people's hearts; and perhaps even to change their minds."
The 2010 Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award shortlist
- Lockerbie: Unfinished Business Written and performed by David Benson and directed by Hannah Eidinov, is also based on a true story - Jim Swire, father and justice campaigner. Performed at the Gilded Balloon Teviot, the play follows his quest for the truth after the death of his daughter in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
- Speechless Playing at the Traverse Theatre, portrays the extraordinary story of identical twins June and Jennifer Gibbons. A joint production by Shared Experience and Sherman Cymru, (2008 Winners of Amnesty’s Award with Deepcut) it is adapted from Marjorie Wallace’s “The Silent Twins”. Refusing to speak to adults, the twins communicate in their own private language, their only relationship being their intense and turbulent bond with each other.
- No Child Playing at Assembly on George Street, is a joint production by Barrow Street Theatre and Scamp Theatre, written and performed by Nilaja Sun and directed by Hal Brooks. It explores the New York City public school system.
Past winners of the Freedom of Expression Award
- 2010: Roadkill Sex trafficking drama, written and directed by Cora Bissett.
- 2009: Palace of the End Judith Thompson's exploration of human rights violations in Iraq
- 2008: Deep Cut A couple's search for answers into the deaths of four young people, including their daughter, at the British army's Deepcut barracks.
- 2007: The Container A play about asylum, and racial and religious persecution, staged in a contained lorry with the audience shut inside.
- 2006: Unprotected A drama about prostitution, violence against women and how we respond to these issues.
- 2005: The Exonerated True stories of six men and women sent to death row after wrongful convictions, but eventually found innocent and released.