TYPE OF WORK
Theatre for development

TARGET GROUPS
Young homeless people, young people at risk of homelessness (16–25) addressing conflict resolution, minority races, refugees/asylum seekers, urban regeneration/urban culture, homelessness, displacement.

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT
UK, Sub-Saharan Africa

COMPANY POLICY
To create a safe supportive space that moves young people at risk beyond what they know, and encourages their independence, safety and self expression. Initial training is offered in dance, conflict resolution, voice, anger management, writing, budgeting or life-skills. This leads to touring interactive theatre to schools, pupil referral and pre-exclusion units, young offender institutions, community and drop-in centres and youth centres.

SCALE OF PROJECTS
Number of practitioners: 1–5
Number of participants: 1–30
Preparation time: 1 week – 2 months
Contact time: 2 hours – 1 week

PERMANENT STAFF
Denise Wong, Artistic Director
Barbara van Heel, General Manager
Mike Sells, Outreach Worker

Empty Houses (UK, 2001)
Interactive theatre piece surrounding the issues of young people who are at risk of sexual exploitation or who have been abused through prostitution, and performed at the conference Hidden Children in November 2001. Commissioned by the Children’s Society.

Off Road, On Road residencies (UK, 2002)
Residencies with five youth groups involved interweaving their stories with those of Streets Alive’s young people, which helped them understand how and why homelessness occurs, and how they can avoid it happening to them. At the end of each residency, Streets Alive and the youth group performed for free for family, friends and the local community.

Outcomes for Streets Alive’s young people included increased ability to communicate effectively; increased ability to problem solve; reduced isolation; taking greater responsibility; increased motivation; increased self-esteem; moving on to other education or future prospects.

A Heart full of Hurt
A project on sexual exploitation devised and toured in partnership with The Children’s Society to schools, care institutions and arts centres. (Autumn 2003)