Aness is 7 years old and is seen here rehearsing for his part as a workhouse boy in the musical 'Oliver' at a theatre in Leeds.
What is Oliver about? Who wrote it?
Aness has Spina bifida and is paralysed from the waist down.
What does paralysed mean? How does Aness's body work differently to yours?
Aness has never acted before but he did really well and his family think he has a hidden talent.
How can a talent be hidden?
Why wasn't the talent found before?
Mum says, "His Head Teacher came to see him and she couldn't believe what she was seeing because of all the children interacting Aness. Nobody saw the wheelchair."
"Nobody saw the wheelchair"? How can that be? How can a wheelchair be unseen? What does she mean?
- In the original story "Oliver", published in 1837, there isn't a workhouse boy using a wheelchair, so is it ok to have one now? (This is a great discussion for children. Oliver is a work of fiction so in a 2024 version, there should be a workhouse boy using a wheelchair as many children today do use wheelchairs. Also, Aness is playing a "workhouse boy", he is not playing a "workhouse boy un a wheelchair". The wheelchair is actually irrelevant)
Look at this picture - what do you see?
Ruth Madeley is an actor who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. She appeared on Dr Who recently playing a main character in an episode. Ruth later posted this photo with the caption, "For every disabled kid who couldn't get in to the Tardis, this ramp is forever yours."
In a scene from the 60th episode, the Dr opens the door of the Tardis and then unfolds a ramp. Ruth's character, who is a scientific advisor, says, "At last, you finally caught up with the 21st century!"
- why does the character say that?
- Charles Dickens wrote Oliver 200 years ago, if he were writing today, how might his characters be different, for example, think about the group of "workhouse boys"
- What can we learn from Ruth Madeley and from Aness?
- Why is this about No Outsiders?
- Which British Value is this about?
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