RICHARD ALEXANDER

Working collaboratively with three others, I created STAR (Space Travel Across Realms). As well as being the world-leading space organisation, STAR was also a clever Theatre in Education plece to teach primary school pupils about the risks of Type 2 Diabetes and ways to live healthily in order to avoid it.

With the issue buried deep within the plot, we brought Mission Control to primary schools and gave pupils the chance to launch the latest space shuttle. Except the rocket encountered an error after launch, and pupils had to work out how to reconnect to the astronaut via live space-link.

With a mix of live-action, pre-recorded video, a caretaker with a dancing broom and a particularly catchy song, the pupils had to discover how to land the rocket safely. Using an emergency message from the director of STAR, along with help from the Mission Control ground crew, pupils answered questions about diabetes, took part in fast-paced activities and worked together in order to understand the condition, and save the day.

STAR was chosen by Rob Kitson, the director of EdComs live, as a piece of work that clearly stood out in the crowd, with consistent branding, a solid and engaging storyline, well-costed figures and a piece that not only got the important issue across, but did so in an exciting and enthuastic way.