Where The Lines Are Drawn written by Suha Al-Khayyat (Viralize, Jaded, Kiss & Tell, Captcha & Wired) explores the beliefs and emotions behind identity-based verbal and violent abuse. The story follows two South London families and shows the impact of hate crime on young people with disabilities, religious backgrounds and from the LBGT+ community.
When Amina’s family moves into the area, it doesn’t take long before she finds a new best friend in Megan. Despite their differences in upbringing, they are surprised by how much they have in common. An offensive online post, however, tests their relationship, causing events to spiral out of control. Meanwhile, Samir and Neil experience a friendship that quickly turns to bullying on the football pitch where everyday homophobia is still considered ‘banter’ by some and disability is belittled on a daily basis.
Where The Lines Are Drawn illustrates the motivations behind such attacks and the confused attitudes and beliefs that try to justify perpetrator’s actions. The performance is followed by a workshop facilitated by the actors and discusses how cyberbullying can escalate into violence, how laws protect victims of hate crime & what happens to perpetrators when they are prosecuted.
