The Context

Translink delivers public transport across Northern Ireland, connecting people and communities with employment, amenities, retail and entertainment through rail, bus and coach services. They seek to do so in a way that supports  four objectives; Operational excellence; Customer satisfaction; Value for money; and Passenger growth.  To support these objectives they engage in creative partnerships to inject a bit of fun into the passenger experience, to encourage people to use their services and positively contribute to a thriving, healthy and sustainable Northern Ireland for all. 

Replay Theatre Company make innovative, quality work for everyone under the age of 19: from the tiniest babies to the oldest teenagers, for disabled children and young people, for school groups, for families, for festivals. They tour locally, nationally and internationally – taking shows to venues from Belfast to Broadway and lots of places in between. 

The Solution

Safety is a fundamental priority for NI Railways, and although the number of injuries on their property and trains is low, there is a requirement to make the general public aware of the dangers that exist. The highest risk group is teenagers as they often gather in groups in and around railway stations, yards and tracks. They are also the hardest audience to reach, especially when a public corporation is doing the talking. Translink approached Arts & Business NI to work out a way to create memorable impact amongst the young – to get them to listen and remember the safety messages.  We introduced them to Replay, a theatre company who create work for exactly the age group Translink were targeting.  

Replay devised and delivered a series of creative workshops at 14 schools from May to October 2018. Students gave their views and suggestions on safe train travel as well as trespassing, anti-social behaviour and the misuse of stations or trains. They discussed why young people gather at train stations/halts and gave insights into the potential implications of this behaviour for young people themselves, other passengers and Translink staff. The insights gained in the workshops were then turned into a play that could be staged in schools in the areas most affected by teenage trespassing on Translink property. Written and produced by Replay, the in-school productions took place mid- May 2019. Both the workshops and performances were approached in a creative, engaging and informative way, leading to very positive feedback from pupils and teachers.  

660 students took part in the workshops and a further 1,835 watched the in-school productions. The effects of anti-social behaviour on other station users and Translink personnel were played out graphically and emotively in the performances. It’s predicted that each pupil who took part, either as a workshop participant or audience member, will become an advocate for Translink and NI Railways safety advice. 

The #Crossingthelines  tour was hugely successful with John Thompson, Safety and Corporate Responsibility Manager for Translink stating that it was the most effective safety messaging he’d ever seen. 

In October 2019 Translink approached Replay confirming that they would like the show to tour again in the spring of 2020. The second tour of #Crossingthelines will visit more schools with a potential reach of up to 3,000 young people, nearly doubling the audience reach of the 2018 tour. Translink are also interested in having the show performed at a major corporate health and safety conference.