In August 2007, Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend, Robert Maltby were attacked by a gang in a park in Lancashire for no other reason than simply for being dressed differently, for being Goths. Sophie tragically died. Propaganda has worked closely with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation since it was first established in memory of Sophie, and in recent years, the charity has gone from strength to strength.
After an award wining film, Dark Angel, an art exhibition of Robert’s work and, the sale of specially designed T-Shirts to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of Sophie’s death, the next phase of the Foundation was immanent. Now Propaganda and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation is proud to launch the S.O.P.H.I.E game, which has been developed, designed and produced, in association with our client, Huthwaite International, to bring a message of tolerance to schools and communities everywhere.
A pilot tour will see the game, which is targeted at children in the first year of high school, being taken into key schools across the country along with Sylvia, Sophie’s mother and trained youth worker, to introduce the game. It is hoped that the tour will generate enough interest to encourage schools and community centres to invest in the game to help Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere.
Sylvia Lancaster, Sophie’s mother said: “The S.O.P.H.I.E game has been developed to target children at an age when they are more susceptible to developing prejudices, intolerances or assimilating them from others. It is hoped that the game will help to challenge and educate young peoples perceptions of subcultures by putting it firmly on the educational agenda.”
The game consists of 30 cards, which represent many common ethnic, religious and social groups and subcultures. Players are set a series of tasks, which challenges preconceptions and encourages development in problem solving and team working skills. At first the players are encouraged to pick a team of five based only on appearances. Throughout the game they find out background information about the characters such as hobbies and skills. The players are then given the chance to revise their first decisions ready to help them in the final stage of the game when they are given a scenario. Those included are an emergency, an expedition, making a Go-Kart and making a rocket. Discussions are prompted throughout to explore the player’s original motives and what they have learnt from taking the time to find out more.
All of the funds made from the game will go back into the Foundation to help it grow and continue its good work.
See more of our work for SOPHIE here, and find out more about the foundation, here.