Making Rights Real, a Scottish grassroots human rights organisation, is delighted to announce they will be staging the Scottish premiere of SEVEN at the Scottish Parliament on 8th December 2022. Sponsored by Maggie Chapman MSP, the play is staged to mark International Human Rights Day.
Women experiencing human rights violations are usually excluded from naming and claiming their human rights. This project has been designed to use the play SEVEN as a catalyst for change within the participants’ own lives and communities. All members of the cast are women who are human rights activists in their own communities. The 22 women involved in the project are diverse in terms of their ages, background and experiences, and live all over the Central Belt of Scotland.
A riveting piece of documentary theatre, SEVEN tells the true stories of seven women who bravely fought for the well-being of women, families, and children around the globe. In Russia, protecting women from domestic violence; in Cambodia, rescuing girls from human trafficking; in Guatemala, giving voice to the poor; in Afghanistan, empowering rural women; in Nigeria and Pakistan, fighting for women’s education and rights; and in Northern Ireland, promoting peace and equality. The play has been seen by over 25,000 people in 32 countries and has been translated into 20 languages.
Rehearsals have taken place in Inverkeithing and Glasgow since August. Our company of 20 women, including a cast of 14, are all extraordinary women, human rights activists in their own lives and communities, who fight to have their voices heard for themselves and others. From disability access to food poverty, racial justice to education, housing rights to mental health stigma and exclusion.
Increasing awareness of human rights has been a key part of this project- through rehearsing and performing SEVEN, Making Rights Real and our director Suzi Morrice have used the language of human rights to talk about naming to claiming real rights.
Inez McCormack’s daughter, Anne McCormack, lives in Kinross and is an activist herself, as Chair of the charity and foodbank provider, Broke Not Broken. Anne, who is volunteering to support this project, said:
“Being part of this production of SEVEN is so important to me for lots of reasons. Seeing activists supporting each other and starting to see their worth is amazing. To see the glint in their eyes, to quote my mum. Part of the legacy she wanted for those she left behind was to continue to be ‘effectively annoying’. Personally, I find the annoying bit pretty easy, but to bring lots of activists together to amplify the voices of Scottish women feels like it will be incredibly effective.”
Lorraine Barrie from Making Rights Real said:
“Making Rights Real is delighted to bring the voices of our cast of 14 Scottish women to the Scottish Parliament, to perform the Scottish premiere of SEVEN right at the heart of where laws are made in Scotland. We will invite MSPs to pledge how they will improve human rights for women in 2023 and start a real dialogue with human rights defenders about what needs to change in Scotland today. At a time when human rights treaties are in the process of being incorporated, and to mark UN Human Rights Days, these grassroots voices are vital.”
You will be able to watch the Parliament performance from 15th December onwards- check out our website and Twitter for links.
We are excited our plans for SEVEN don’t stop in December. You will be able to come along to our next performance in Fife in March 2023- sign up for our mailing list to hear first when tickets become available.
We then plan to take the play on the road across Scotland- to community venues where our cast lives and more rurally- bring this play to a wider audience”.
Participants said
“I think the subject of human rights is so important and using drama is a powerful way to spread the message. I also would like to meet other activists and campaigners and be able to share experiences with them. I think that being part of this project will help with my campaigning and develop confidence.”
“I believe that creativity, and storytelling, in particular, is a powerful tool for bringing people together and for delivering difficult messages in a way that is both engaging and effective.”
“I’m interested in the stories of the women and would like to learn more about disabled rights.”
“I want to be more of an activist”.
“I’ve never done any acting before – this is a new challenge for me.”