Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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Crisis Skylight Spring Term

February 10 2011
Song-writing, drama and IT join the accredited qualifications in Birmingham


Crisis Skylight Birmingham's spring term programme began on 10 January. An array of workshops, arts sessions and key skill support projects for homeless and vulnerable adults will be held at venues around the city over a 10-week period. Many of the activities and workshops are accredited, and clients can to earn OCR and NOCN qualifications if they successfully complete the programme.

Crisis Skylight was set up in Birmingham in the summer of 2010, and held its first programme of workshops and activities in the autumn. This culminated in a performance and awards ceremony at the Custard Factory Theatre in Digbeth, Birmingham, in December. Crisis clients and partner organisations attended, and clients who had completed courses were presented with their certificates. Impressive performances from people who had been involved in the arts projects included songs composed and professionally performed by clients, along with some profoundly moving spoken-word and poetry performances. An extended drama performance by SIFA Fireside service users incorporated the variety of skills they had learned in the drama workshops hosted there. The three-part play, which the service users also helped to produce and write, was a great success despite some last-minute problems with casting and props. Rob, one of the service users who took part in the production, said: "Being involved in this has definitely improved my self-confidence and self-esteem… We had fun putting on a great show."

The spring term drama workshops are being held at SIFA Fireside and Anawim. The popular song-writing and performance sessions are also returning, as are the accredited basic skills lessons and the DJ skills project at South Birmingham College. New activities include a 'Start IT' course and a film club that will hold screenings once a week at St Anne's Hostel. The key skills English sessions have been revamped and return as the 'Discovery Club' at SIFA Fireside to offer tuition to people of varying abilities.

Crisis Skylight will be sure to build upon their good reputation and the success they achieved last year.

For more information on Crisis Skylight and other Crisis projects around the country, visit www.crisis.org.uk.

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