Pupils at Milford Haven School have been learning about the consequences of tombstoning and honing their skills as future scriptwriters.
The Port of Milford Haven and Cardiff Harbour Authority, along with funding from Arts & Business Cymru, commissioned Theatr na nÓg to perform the award-winning show ‘Would You Jump?’ in schools again this summer, but with the addition of scriptwriting workshops for Year 7 and 8 pupils.
The plays follow the story of a character who gives in to peer pressure from his friend and jumps into the water at Milford Marina. His sister jumps in after him and sadly sacrifices her own life to save him. Pupils worked with Sara Lewis, freelance writer and director, to create their own storylines that could be used as a sequel to ‘Would You Jump?’ producing some fantastic results that were performed by the pupils themselves and the professional actors.
Daisy Williams from Theatr na nÓg commented “Working with the pupils in Milford Haven School was brilliant. They came up with some wonderful ideas and showed so much compassion for characters they’d only just met. Some of the lines that they scripted were beautiful, one of my favourites being ‘I smile weakly in success. Tom is lifted out of the water as I am pulled down to take his place. But I have no regrets’.”
The project is one of a number of initiatives that the Port of Milford Haven co-ordinates each year to highlight the dangers of tombstoning. The activity has historically attracted large numbers of young people to Milford Marina during the summer but many don’t realise that it carries many serious risks such as strong currents, cold water shock and the potential that sharp objects could be submerged in the water, hidden from sight.
The Port can and will prosecute anyone caught tombstoning from the area around Milford Marina, however it is hoped that by educating people it will deter them from risking their lives by jumping into the water from there.
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Photo: Pupils at Milford Haven School watch professional actors perform their scripts
Notes to Editors
Port of Milford Haven
The Port of Milford Haven is the UK’s top energy port and Wales’ busiest port handling around 20% of Britain’s seaborne trade in oil and gas. It is widely recognised in the industry as the energy capital of the UK.
The Port, along with the cluster of energy-related businesses along the Waterway, is a key driver of economic activity in Pembrokeshire, attracting inward investment and supporting over 4,000 jobs.
The Port of Milford Haven also owns and operates Pembroke Port and Milford Dock. Activities such as cargo handling, ferry operations, fish landing and cruise calls as well as a first class marina are spread across these two sites.
One of the most prominent on the West Coast, the Port is in the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the only Coastal National Park in Great Britain. It is marked as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and has many areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The Port of Milford Haven is a trust port – an independent, commercially run organisation that has statutory responsibilities governed by its Acts, to maintain and improve navigation and the provision of Port and Harbour services and facilities. Additionally, the Port provides significant financial and in-kind support to a wide variety of local causes. All profits are retained within the business to fund these objectives.
For further information, visit www.mhpa.co.uk or contact:
Anna Malloy
Port of Milford Haven
01646 696100
anna.malloy@mhpa.co.uk