TYPE OF WORK
Positive reflection and change on both the personal and social levels through drama and the arts.

TARGET GROUPS
People with learning difficulties, conflict management and post conflict development work, work with refugees, young people at risk, children with life threatening illnesses and people with mental health problems.

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT
UK, North Africa and Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, Western and Southern Europe

COMPANY POLICY
To use drama and arts techniques in both participatory workshop and performance based work to explore issues and themes pertinent to lives, communities and society. The work aims to develop interpersonal skills, self-esteem and empowerment of participants.

The company has worked with a huge range of groups as well as providing professional training for artists, therapists, NGOs and policy-makers.

SCALE OF PROJECTS
Number of practitioners: 1–10
Number of participants: 1–400
Preparation time: 10 minutes – several months
Contact time: 1 day to regular inputs over years

PERMANENT STAFF
Colin Beazley, Project Development Officer
Rachel Bennetts, Co-ordinator of Projects for Children with Life Threatening Illnesses
Karin Berg, International Projects Co-ordinator
Peter Harris, Artistic Director
Peter Smith, Administrative Director
Julie Walker, Local Projects Co-ordinator

Regular training for Psychologists from Little Star Centre (Russia, 1999–ongoing)
Wolf + Water have run three five-day training courses with 40 psychologists working with Little Star Project in Chechnya. Little Star was established by the UK/Russian NGO Centre for Peace Building and Community Development.

The workshops focused on training in the use of a range of drama and arts based techniques to engage and work with children traumatised by the Chechen War. This involved a wide spectrum of approaches from using simple theatre techniques to more complex psychodramatically based techniques. The training has greatly increased the range of techniques that these therapists can use with the children and has led to a more creative approach to the work of Little Star.

Nansen Network Development
Using drama to explore issues of conflict and community development throughout the Balkans, working with the Nansen Academy of Human Rights, Norway. (ongoing)

Refugee Show
Young refugees and young people from Plymouth explore issues of being disadvantaged, producing a piece of work to tour schools. (UK, spring–summer 2003)

The Hamar Project
Young people with learning difficulties will develop a show for their local community. (Norway, September 2003)