Vincent Dance Theatre (UK) – In Loco Parentis

In Loco Parentis combines movement, strong visual imagery and spoken word to investigate the cycles of childhood trauma, rupture and repair that shape the lives of care-experienced children and young people. In 2008 there were around 60,000 children in care, with that figure rising year on year. At the end of March 2018 there were 75,420 looked-after children in England, up 4% on the previous year. Despite interventions from the Cameron Government, which sought to speed up the adoption process and provide funds to offer therapeutic support to adopted children, the numbers of children being adopted continues to fall, and the shortage of foster carers remains unchanged. The result of a period of a six-month period of research and collaboration with care -experienced young people and the adults in their lives, In Loco Parentis unpacks some of the secrets and stigmas surrounding the care system in order to challenge, provoke and stimulate public debate.