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Badac Theatre Company. Highlighting Human Rights Abuses. Edinburgh Festival. 'Anna'.

To raise money for Badac I am competing in the Tough Mudder Event on 8th June 2013. For those of you who are not familiar with Tough Mudder, it is a hardcore 12mile-long obstacle course designed by the Special Forces to test not only strength, stamina, but mental stability. To give you a cheeky little overview: obstacles include crawling through narrow, dark and muddy trenches, running through blazing and oxygen deprived area, sprinting through a field of electric wires, some carry up to 10,000 volts of electric shock amongst other rather un-pleasantries.

Although I have been reasonably active most of my life, I already know I will have to go beyond my physical abilities and will be facing one of my biggest fears.

I'm doing the race and raising money for the company in order to support their continuing human rights work. Since the company began in 1999 they have worked really hard to research and highlight human rights abuses and issues, both historical and contemporary, in this country and globally. Their work has covered various examples of abuse, including, violence against women (Cage), political persecution and torture (The Cry, Crucifixion) and the Holocaust (Ashes to Ashes, The Devoured, The Factory). The plays have received numerous 5 Star reviews from national newspapers and have been nominated and won various awards, including the 'Best Actress' award from The Stage newspaper for 'Cage' a piece that focused on domestic violence.  

The work has been seen by audiences of all ages and has been performed in theatres, universities, colleges and schools across the UK, as well as internationally. For example their Holocaust piece 'Ashes to Ashes' has, for the last 8 years, been performed annually to over 2,000 young people in schools and colleges, and, as is the case with all the shows, is accompanied by workshops and discussions that, firstly, aim to introduce them to human rights issues and abuses, and secondly, to get them involved in protesting about those abuses.

The money I raise will go specifically towards the company's new project 'Anna'. The piece will focus on the life, work and assassination of Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist who, due to her efforts in uncovering and reporting human rights abuses committed during the second war in Chechnya, and her criticism of the increasingly autocratic nature with which Russia was being governed, was subjected to a constant barrage of state sponsored threats, intimidation and violence. Ultimately, and as is the case for many journalists, Politkovskaya's pursuit for freedom of information resulted in her making powerful and dangerous enemies and in Moscow on the 7th October 2006 she was shot and murdered. The company's aim with the piece is that through the telling of Politkovskaya's story they can focus attention on the continuing persecution, imprisonment and murder of journalists around the world, who despite this intimidation and the dangers connected to it, continue in their efforts to report to us the crimes of the perpetrators and the suffering of the victims.

All the money raised will go towards the production costs of taking 'Anna' to the Edinburgh Festival 2013. Premiering the play at the festival will allow the company to highlight the everyday danger that some journalists, in certain areas of the world, are facing by exposing human rights abuses. It will allow them to expose the work to both domestic and international producers and programmers with a view to future performances and tours. The production costs involved in performing at the festival are high, and include publicity, venue hire, brochure entry, accommodation and travel, however, the benefits can be great and success at the festival could, firstly, offer the company the opportunity to extend its human rights work to new audiences of all ages, and secondly, allow it to develop its existing audience and venue contacts.

So. Come on. Dig deep. You know you want to see me in absolute agony and you also help this company get to Edinburgh. 

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