Serious message behind magic moments

Translink NI Railways and theatre performance company, Cahoots NI are behind the collaborative project, iPredict, which uses performance, magic and digital media to predict the outcomes of an imaginary train journey.

The first performance took place in front of 200 pupils from Downshire School and continued at Ulidia Integrated College on Monday and Carrickfergus Grammar School yesterday (Wednesday) before moving to schools across Northern Ireland

iPredict challenge the young people’s thoughts about rail safety including pedestrian trespass, train speed and technology distraction.

Frank Moore, route manager, Translink NI Railways, said: “One of the challenges we face when communicating with a young audience, is delivering our safety messages without sounding as though we are preaching!

“iPredict is a really exciting project which engages the audience from the first moment and shares some key nuggets of rail safety information with them, while daring them to work out how the predictions are made.”

Each pupil who sees the performance has the opportunity to win an iPad Mini and a journey on NI Railways services for their class. Up to 50 runners up will win Translink branded headphones.

Paul Bosco McEneaney, artistic director of Cahoots NI, commented: “iPredict uses enhanced digital technology, cutting edge animation and magic to hook pupils into the performance. The show unlocks the assumed: safety. A pupil will be invited to take part in an interactive, audio-visual tour of their own making about an imagined journey.

“Our aim is to take the message of rail safety seriously, but to make the learning itself a thing of magic. iPredict will make pupils say, ‘wow how did they do that?’ and will create a meaningful link with Translink and rail safety.”

Heather Carr, Arts & Business, commented: “We have worked with both Cahoots NI and Translink previously and were delighted that the two organisations found a project to collaborate on.

“The combination of Translink NI Railways’ safety messages and Cahoots NI’s track record for developing innovative ways to communicate difficult messages to very specific audiences, promises to make iPredict an engaging and challenging piece of performance.”

For more information visit www.translink.co.uk/iPredict