‘One Day’ is a joint venture between LoveTheatre and Vote.je – the election website managed by the States Greffe – and follows the story of a boy in Jersey on his journey to becoming more politically engaged.
It will be performed by local actors Alice Veitch, Joss Macdonald and Molly Byrne-Shore and shown to 15- to 18-year-olds at Beaulieu, Les Quennevais, Haute Valleé, Le Rocquier, Hautlieu, Jersey College for Girls, Victoria College and Highlands College. It will also be available to watch online at vote.je from early April.
LoveTheatre’s Michelle Smith said: ‘We were challenged by vote.je to make a show that is entertaining, informative and also persuasive, as ultimately the aim is to encourage and empower young people to get into a habit of voting – to get the youth in the booth. All of this while not being patronising, overwhelming or too dry.’
Lisa Hart, Deputy Greffier of the States, added: ‘Jersey is one of just 17 jurisdictions in the world that allows people under the age of 18 to vote and it is really important that young Islanders are encouraged to register and then use their vote to choose who represents them in the States Assembly. This play is a fun, powerful and memorable way of informing young people about our voting system. While I think it will appeal to a young audience, I am confident, having seen some of LoveTheatre’s other plays, that it will also be a great way for Islanders of all ages to understand the way voting in Jersey works.’
Meanwhile, Vote.je has added Portuguese and Polish pages on their website in order to help those communities learn more about voting and how the election process works.
Ms Hart said: ‘We are aware that some people in the Portuguese and Polish communities think that they are unable to vote in the election because they were not born in Jersey. But this is not the case.
‘Our new pages on vote.je have been put together with the help of Portuguese and Polish colleagues to explain how easy it is to vote and how the election process works.’
Anyone aged 16 and over who has lived in Jersey for the past two years or for the past six months plus a total of five years previously is eligible to vote, but they must have registered in advance.
