Description of Services
Streets Alive is a youth theatre group working with 16-25 year olds who are homeless or have experience of homelessness. Their main purpose is to empower these young people by involving them in a form of theatre that reflects and expresses their own experiences. Through presenting performances in schools and youth centres they also raise issues related to homelessness with a much wider audience, an important feature of which is that it is the audience's peers who are telling their own story. The group was formed in 1998 and in the four years since then has worked with 160 young homeless people.
Streets Alive has three main aims: i) to enable young people to move forwards personally, practically, artistically and professionally, ii) to raise awareness of issues surrounding homelessness and challenge the preconceptions that lead to stigmatisation and social exclusion; and, iii) to provide effective preventative work by touring the production to schools; pupil referral, young offender and pre-exclusion units; community and drop in centres and environments where the young people in the company will actively engage with their peer group and inform them of the perils of life on the streets. The theatre and performances are vibrant, enlightened and entertaining and always relevant to the actors and the audience so as to ensure that the message within the performance is related with maximum impact and effect.
Purpose of Grant
Payment for consultancy support to assist with fundraising, and organisational development issues.
Contact
Barbara Van Heel, General Manager: barbara@streetsalive.org.uk
Weblink: www.streetsalive.org.uk
