Creating Change Through Creativity: Schools Lead the Way on HIV Stigma Awareness
As we approach World AIDS Day 2025 (1st Dec) we’re reflecting back on a series of successful HIV-stigma educational events held in secondary schools around World AIDS Day in 2024.
Chiva delivered HIV awareness assemblies in secondary schools in Cardiff, Bristol and London in November and December 2024. These were well received and reached hundreds of pupils with up-to-date facts about HIV.
As a result of delivering an assembly at Oasis Academy Brislington (Bristol), Chiva was later able to arrange a creative workshop day at the school in April 2025, partnering with the Welsh National Opera (WNO) to deliver their ‘Three Letters’ project. Three Letters uses music and performance to tackle societal stigma around HIV.
The workshop project team included the Chiva Participation Manager and a young facilitator from Chiva, alongside a team from WNO including a Producer, Writer/Director, Composer and Singer. The workshop day included a group of 28 year 8, 9, and 10 drama students.
The day comprised: a presentation from Chiva sharing information about HIV; a Q&A session and a young person from Chiva shared their own lived experience of growing up with HIV. This was followed by: a drama/song demonstration; composition/singing exercises; creative writing and editing activities; and a final performance made up of words and music written during the day. Below you can find some of the lyrics that were written and performed on the day.
Chiva and WNO were so impressed with what the students came up with in such a short space of time. Their creative outputs were empathetic and shared messages of allyship that would mean a lot to young people living with HIV.
100% of participants reported that their knowledge about the topic of HIV stigma improved as a result of the workshop, meaning the objective of the workshop was met.
There were also many lovely feedback comments from the students about how much they enjoyed the musical/performance aspects of the day. When asked to write down their one ‘promise’ to conclude the session, several of them wrote about the importance of kindness, respect, and standing up to stigma.
Overall, the feedback strongly demonstrated that approaching the topic of HIV stigma through creativity and music/song can improve engagement, knowledge, and empathy on the part of participants. It proved to be a really effective way of getting the message through.
Feedback from the Drama Subject Lead at Oasis Academy Brislington:
“I just wanted to say a huge thank you on behalf of our year 8, 9 and 10 Drama students and myself for the fantastic workshop you delivered yesterday. The students absolutely loved it and found the entire experience incredibly engaging and inspiring. It was wonderful to see them so enthusiastic and involved throughout; they really are lucky to be given this opportunity – so thank you!
“You really sparked their interest – not only in opera but in performance and storytelling more widely. It was truly amazing how you got all of that out of them to create a performance in 5 hours!”
With World AIDS Day 2025 approaching, Chiva are set to deliver further HIV awareness assemblies. Click here to find our resources to help schools raise awareness of HIV. If you know a school who would like to arrange a Chiva facilitator to come in, please email: [email protected]
Song lyrics written and performed by Oasis Academy Brislington
U = U, We = We
[Gossip and rumours]
Contagious, contagious, contagious…
You’re safe with me
I took my meds, I now feel free
There are different ways to catch it
Needles or the bed
All these silly myths inside your head
People are kind
Don’t let the lies poison your mind
Science has led to freedom
The right medication found
The facts are the truth, the truth are the facts
But stigmas are fixed in the ground
U=U, We=We
We stand together in unity
Intimacy isn’t a crime
The right medication found
U=U and you can be you
And all of the people around
U=U, We=We
We stand together in unity
HIV
I am free!
