{"product_id":"9781350555198","title":"Positive Stories for Negative Times, Volume 4 Bold new plays co-created by young people and world-class artists","description":"\u003ch3\u003ePlays for Young People\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch1\u003ePositive Stories for Negative Times, Volume 4\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBold new plays co-created by young people and world-class artists\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eElla Hickson | Hannah Low | Travis Alabanza | Mammalian Diving Reflex | James Ley | Wonder Fools\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003eDrama \/ European \/ English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNominated for Community Award at The Stage Awards 2025\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFive powerful new plays by some of the most exciting artists working in the UK today – created with and for young people. Developed as part of Wonder Fools' international project \u003ci\u003ePositive Stories for Negative Times\u003c\/i\u003e, which has engaged over 11,000 young people across 24 countries including the UK, South Africa, India, USA, Canada, Italy and Australia. Co-commissioned by Wonder Fools and the Traverse Theatre, these bold, imaginative plays span a wide range of styles, themes and forms – designed for ages 6–25. They invite young people to explore big ideas, ask urgent questions and take creative risks. The plays in this volume are:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWe Ain't Movin' \u003c\/i\u003eby Travis Alabanza\u003cbr\u003eAges 12-18\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eRoman Cardboard Swift \u003c\/i\u003eby Ella Hickson\u003cbr\u003eAges 12-25\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHold Me Closer Bunny Baxter\u003c\/i\u003e by James Ley\u003cbr\u003eAges 14-25\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCareful What You Wish For\u003c\/i\u003e by Hannah Low\u003cbr\u003eAges 6-12\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Book of Spin\u003c\/i\u003e by Mammalian Diving Reflex\u003cbr\u003eAges 12-25\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePositive Stories For Negative Times \u003c\/i\u003ebegan in response to the loss of creative spaces during the pandemic – offering young people the chance to connect, express themselves and make new work. Now an international programme, it includes hundreds of participating groups around the world, a Youth Board who dramaturg every commissioned play, a CPD programme for leaders, and four youth theatre festivals across Scotland taking place in summer 2025.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSupported by Creative Scotland, the Gannochy Trust, Hugh Fraser Foundation, William Syson Foundation, Trades House of Glasgow Commonweal Fund and Gordon Fraser Foundation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eElla Hickson\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning playwright whose work has been performed throughout the UK and abroad. Her recent play 'Anna', a sonic collaboration with Ben and Max Ringham, opened at the National Theatre in Spring, 2019. Other theatre includes, 'Swive' (2019) at The Globe, 'The Writer' (2018) and 'Oil' (2016) at The Almeida Theatre, and 'Wendy and Peter Pan' (2015) at The Royal Shakespeare Company. She is a member of the Royal Society of Literature, a MacDowell Fellow and recipient of The Catherine Johnson Award. She is developing new work with The Old Vic, Tim Minchin and The National Theatre, and television projects with Kudos Productions and Warp Films.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHannah Low\u003c\/b\u003e is a Chinese-Scottish writer, actor and youth theatre practitioner based in Edinburgh Scotland who graduated in 2019 with a First Class BA(Hons) degree in Musical Theatre. Most recently, Hannah was selected as a mentee for Playwright's Studio Scotland's 2024 programme, working with Douglas Maxwell to develop a new play. Hannah makes vibrant, narrative-led, interdisciplinary work for stage. Her projects are currently supported by Vanishing Point and Imaginate, and funded by Creative Scotland and the Edinburgh City Council Diversity and Inclusion fund.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTravis Alabanza\u003c\/b\u003e is a performer, writer and theatre-maker. In 2016\/17 they became the youngest recipient of the artist-in-residence at the Tate workshop programme, starred in Scottee's theatre production \u003ci\u003ePutting Words in your Mouth\u003c\/i\u003e at the Roundhouse and the Royal Exchange adaptation of Derek Jarman's \u003ci\u003eJubilee\u003c\/i\u003e, performed in venues such as V\u0026amp;A, Tate, ICA, the Roundhouse and Barbican – and had their work featured in The Guardian, BBC, Huck Magazine and more. Known for increasingly paving much of the UK conversation around trans politics, Alabanza has become a staple of the London queer scene and further afield. Their debut poetry book \u003ci\u003eBefore I step Outside (you love me)\u003c\/i\u003e released in 2017 has been shipped to over 19 countries worldwide and listed as one of the top trans literary books of 2017. Alabanza's unique mixture of performance, poetry, style, political views and risk-taking performances has taken them across the country, Europe and internationally – working regularly with artists such as Alok Vaid-Menon, Duckie, David Hoyle, Scottee and others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMammalian Diving Reflex\u003c\/b\u003e creates performances by looking for contradictions to whip into aesthetically scintillating experiences. They create site and social-specific performance events, theatre productions, participatory gallery installations, videos, art objects and theoretical texts to foster dialogue and dismantle barriers between individuals of all backgrounds by bringing people together in new and unusual ways.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJames Ley\u003c\/b\u003e is an Edinburgh-based writer who has written plays for A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Glasgay! and The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His work has been performed at Òran Mór, The Citizens Theatre, The Tron Theatre and The CCA. Mentored through the Playwrights' Studio, Scotland and a finalist in Glasgay!'s Playfest 2010 competition, he was awarded an Arts Council Literature Residency at CovePark in 2010 and has recently been awarded a grant from The Tom McGrath Trust.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e07 June 2025\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBloomsbury Academic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eImprint: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMethuen Drama\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9781350555198\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePaperback \/ softback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePage Count: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e232\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight (oz): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9.76\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51223583391884,"sku":"9781350555198","price":20.66,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/9545\/1788\/files\/getimage_aabe1b12-08c6-49cc-8406-e69a5c47e491.jpg?v=1783077988","url":"https:\/\/lateknightbooks.com\/products\/9781350555198","provider":"Late Knight Books and Services, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}