The National Theatre of Scotland has launched its new online education portal for teachers and students.

Front-and-centre of the new portal’s features is a specially-created educational resource for Hannah Lavery’s production Lament for Sheku Bayoh, plus access to a filmed version of the production, captured at the Lyceum Theatre in 2020.

A new resource pack for the production is now freely available to schools and designed to support educators to approach an anti-racism conversation in response to the production.

Working closely with writer Hannah Lavery, cast members and other industry professionals, the three co-producers have curated a range of audio, visual and written articles which will support teachers in facilitating positive, constructive conversations around the themes of the play exploring the wider aspects of Scottish cultural identity and enriching the pupil experience of the production.

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The resources have been developed with input from poet and facilitator Clementine E Burnley and include tools from organisations such as Training for Change and The Anti-Racist educators.

Clementine Burley said: “Discussions of racism and racial violence when handled sensitively can lead to shifts in understanding.

“The material in this resource aims to support educators to more safely explore in mixed racial groups the wider social, historical and political aspects of Scottish identity”

The education portal will include resources created to support teachers and secondary school students in Scotland to study selected productions from National Theatre of Scotland’s programme.

It will also offer a selection of filmed productions, focussing on the Company’s new productions.

Paul Fitzpatrick, Head of Creative Engagement at National Theatre of Scotland said: “We are thrilled to be able to open up the digital doors to National Theatre of Scotland to offer teachers and students across Scotland access to high quality filmed productions and bespoke digital resources created especially for the Scottish education sector.

“We look forward to sharing our work with educators and young people nationwide to help facilitate access to the arts, learning and discussion.”