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The phone vibrates…a message…times, numbers, deals…and a warning. All in code. So young and so troubled. At home, in school, on the street. There’s no way out – is there?

CODE, Justice in Motion’s urban odyssey into County Lines and Knife Crime, is a spectacular blend of physical theatre, parkour and trials bike stunts with live rap and music. On an urban playground, skilled athletes and performers show what is happening to our young people exploited by organised drug crime gangs.
This story could be happening right now. See inside the County Lines through up-close, dazzling, adrenaline-fuelled, audacious story-telling inspired by true case studies.

In some locations, following a 3-day residency with the company, local young people will find out about County Lines and the dangers involved. Together with the professional team, learning special movement skills, they will create part of the show and will perform alongside athletes and performers.

Our latest production digs into the growing levels of child exploitation by criminal gangs known as County Lines. It follows on from our previous productions which explored different kinds of modern slavery: BOUND (forced labour, sex trafficking and domestic servitude) and ON EDGE (exploitation of construction workers).

County Lines refers to the mobile phone lines that criminal gangs use to organise, store and sell drugs.

Vulnerable young people are particularly at risk of exploitation. They are often recruited by the gangs using drug debts, grooming or threats.

 

Rehearsal Director
Michael Lynch

Composer
Quentin Lachapele

Set & Costume Designer
Celia Perkins

Set Creation
Splinter Scenery

Graphic Designer
Evy Prentice

Stage Manager
David Marmet

Production Manager
Niall Gordon

Crew & Sound Engineer
George Moran

Youth Company Director
Miles Kearley

Chaperone
Susanne Marmet

Youth Engagement Manager
Roy Peach

App Developer
Adam Ilko

“Absolutely blown away”

This was incredible, well done guys. Absolutely blown away

James Ottley, Children Heard and Seen

“Brilliant work”

Brilliant work! Really well done

Outdoor Arts UK

“Choreography is rich and tight”

The bikes are thrilling and the choreography is rich and tight with some truly haunting imagery

Michael Sells, Dartington Trust

“clear message”

You guys are super talented! It was such a cleverly done show with a clear message and such cool ways of portraying it. Amazing stunts and acting.

Audience member

“gripping, gritty, compelling”

Code was gripping, gritty, compelling, in your face, technically professional, maturity of the acting and rapping was brilliant. Code is relevant to now and thus a story that needs to be shared with others

Audience member

“The ending was really important”

It was so, so good. My 7 year old just told granny all about the show he saw… The ending was really important for [him].

Audience member

“like nothing I’ve ever seen”

The show has a strong and clear narrative that is expressed through breath taking parkour and trials bike stunts. The show is physical and raw – like nothing I’ve ever seen. (5 stars)

Quaere Living

“Visually arresting scenes”

These are hard-hitting subjects for a popular, public drama and Meinhardt astutely employs visually-arresting scenes to capture the attention of the crowd.

Meinhardt’s productions are known for fusing dance and movement with circus and aerialist skills, and innovatively in 2019’s On Edge, which was also staged in Broad Street, parkour. Parkour is also a feature of Code with hoodie-wearing performers swinging and jumping over the heights of the stage.

Particularly stunning are the stunt cyclists who seem to defy gravity in jumping vertically on to barriers and platforms above them.

Newbury Today

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Dates

2024

1 & 2 June – Whitelands Sports Ground, Bicester 12pm & 3pm

15 June – Toll Bar Academy, Grimsby (Times TBC)

16 June – Town Centre, Grimsby (Times TBC)

22 June – Oakridge Estate, Basingstoke (Times TBC)

23 June – Town Centre, Basingstoke (Times TBC)

28 & 29 June – Reading (Times TBC)

3 & 4 July – Aureus School, Didcot (Times TBC)

12 – 14 July – Deventer Op Stelten, Netherlands (Times TBC)

20 & 21 July – Riverside Festival, Bedford (Times TBC)

23 August – Greenbelt Festival (Times TBC)

29-31 August & 1 September, Freedom Festival, Hull (Times TBC)

28 September – Portsfest, Portsmouth (Times TBC)

2023

12 August – Riverside Community Centre, Newbury 1pm & 4pm

13 August – Greenham Community Centre, Newbury 3pm & 6pm

19 August – Broad Street, Oxford 12pm & 3pm

20 August – Barton Neighbourhood Centre, Oxford 2pm & 5pm

26 August – Kensington and Chelsea Festival, London 2pm & 5pm

28 October – Reading FC Stadium 10.30am & 1.30pm

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