New Horizons in Alcohol Education: The Journey of Smashed

At Collingwood Learning, we use storytelling and live performance to spark positive change. For over two decades, we’ve been developing innovative educational programmes that address some of the most pressing issues facing young people today – topics like alcohol misuse, safeguarding, road safety and respectful relationships. One of our flagship initiatives is Smashed, an innovative alcohol education project that has reached over six million young people across the UK and around the world.

As a team of educators, creatives, and changemakers, we believe in the power of storytelling to drive impact. Our mission is to equip young people with the knowledge and confidence they need to make safe, healthy choices using creativity as a catalyst for wellbeing.

Smashed is a creative project, a central narrative dramatized through live theatre performance. We use theatre techniques to help students test out strategies for saying no to alcohol. This is supported by hundreds of skilled actors and facilitators around the world. Each performance is followed by a workshop, designed to help young people learn interactively and test out safety strategies in a safe environment.

Adapting in a Pandemic: Smashed Goes Digital

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a huge shift to the way we work. Like many others, we faced school closures, travel restrictions, and the sudden impossibility of delivering in-person theatre performances. But it also pushed us to innovate. The question became: How can we maintain impact when we can’t be in the room?
The answer was Smashed Online.

Working closely with our partners and schools, we reimagined the Smashed programme as an interactive digital experience. We filmed a dynamic, interactive version of the Smashed story, complete with classroom resources, discussion guides, and quizzes – all hosted on a custom online platform. Teachers could access the content flexibly, and students could engage at their own pace. Despite the disruption, we managed to keep our message alive and relevant, and reached even more students than before.
The highlight of our year? Seeing how students respond to the programme. One young person told us, “It made me think twice about drinking and how it affects people’s lives.” That kind of feedback reminds us why we do what we do.
Covid-19 pandemic taught us a great deal. First, flexibility is everything. We’ve learned that digital tools can make our work more accessible, especially in rural or underserved areas around the world.

Looking Ahead: Creativity and Wellbeing Week 2025

For Creativity and Wellbeing Week 2025, we’re planning a week of creative workshops and interactive assemblies in schools, spotlighting the power of theatre in health education. We’ll be delivering both Smashed Live and Online sessions around the world, alongside resources that invite students to create their own responses—through drama, art, or writing.
We’re inviting schools, educators, and youth organisations to get involved by booking a live session for 2025 – 2026 school year, or accessing our free online resource. Whether you’re in a city school or a rural classroom, we want you to be part of the conversation.

Exploring New Horizons

This year’s festival provocation: “Which are the new horizons you are exploring through your work?” feels particularly resonant. For us, the new horizon is a hybrid approach to education: merging creativity with digital innovation to reach further and deeper than ever before.
It also means expanding our impact globally. Smashed is now active in over 35 countries, and we’re continuously learning from cultural contexts and local insights to shape how we tell stories. This cross-border collaboration is shaping the next chapter of our work, helping us better understand young people’s needs wherever they are.

Join Us

To find out more about Smashed or to bring the programme to your school or community, visit collingwoodlearning.com. We’re always looking for new partners, passionate educators, and creative collaborators.
Let’s continue to explore new horizons – together.