Standing in defiance of Covid-19, small performance adventures (Brighton), Bristol Drugs Project, Our Space at Theatre Royal Plymouth, and Outside Edge (London), will be uniting throughout August to deliver a series of pop-up performance videos created for International Overdose Awareness Day.

International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on 31 August each year that raises awareness of overdose and helps reduce the stigma of drug-related death. It acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends by remembering those who have died or had a permanent injury as a result of drug overdose. It also aims to spread the message that overdose death is preventable.

Originally these four recovery arts organisations had planned to deliver a series of live-stream public performances across the four cities replicating their 2019 success. However, due to the impact of Covid-19, a collection of powerful and moving videos are being created to deliver the performances in a safe and socially distanced way.

The created videos will be broadcast via watch parties on Facebook and Youtube on 31st August and will be available to stream retrospectively.

Kate McCoy, artistic director of small performance adventures says:

This year, we are all dealing with the negative consequences of lockdown on people’s lives  and it feels even more important to come together and honour those who have lost their lives by creating a powerful ritual and raising awareness through creative acts.

Sara Rhodes of Plymouth Theatre Royal said of their involvement:

It is important to ‘Our Space’ attendees that we are involved as overdose has touched many lives. We are proud to be working with such amazing national partners and to raise awareness through creativity around overdose and suicide. It’s been a uniting and humbling experience so far and we look forward to sharing Plymouth’s contribution.

Image: OAD