Cover story |
Creativity
February 2012 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 9
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
‘It was partly in recognition of this that we started to diversify our input into the
schools,’ he says. ‘Vita Nova was becoming quite experienced in workshop
facilitation and we rolled out themed workshops, tailor made to the school’s
requirements, on subjects like bullying, domestic violence and knife crime. We also
started to look further at initiatives which would enhance the lives and
opportunities of our service users.’
Vita Nova has worked with around 700 service users since 1999, with many
members going back into full-time education, and several gaining degrees. Largely
reliant on grant funding, it runs drama workshops that are ‘open access’ for newly
abstinent people and also engages with those on substitute prescriptions. Although
based in the South of England, we can deliver educational projects nationally and we
have now performed to more than 100,000 people.
It was in 2006 that Vita Nova contracted to work with Nell Leyshon, well-known
playwright and novelist, who remains Vita Nova’s writer in residence to this day.
‘Nell has developed a way of working with writers – based upon starting where
people are and nurturing with constructive feedback – which has spread into Vita
Nova’s core work,’ says Simon. ‘We now have prospects of running creative writing
workshops in prisons and mental health settings, as well as appearances as arts
and literary festivals throughout the country.’
Simon sees this input from arts professionals as having a mentoring function
and as an inevitable development for Vita Nova. ‘We started out wanting to make
a play and slowly we are being shown how to do this for ourselves.’
The creative writing groups are now embedded as part of Vita Nova’s ‘offer’ to the
recovering community in Bournemouth. Many participants are getting involved in ‘slam
poetry’ events locally and further afield, and last year Vita Nova published its first
anthology of members’ poems and creative writing, Clean.
‘That was really something,’ says Simon. ‘We put on an event at the Winchester
– an arts venue in Bournemouth – and invited the great and the good of the literary
and arts establishment. Feedback was amazing. You’ll find a copy on Amazon.’
Vita Nova’s latest ‘arts coup’ has been the engagement of Jessica Swale, an
exceptionally talented young professional theatre director. The intention is to mirror
the mentoring process that has already taken place with the writing.
‘We’re going to Arvon – the Arvon Foundation, a registered charity offering high
quality writing workshops delivered by professional writers – for the third time. There’s
16 of us in total and we’re really looking forward to it. Jessica has agreed to teach,
alongside Nell. It’s a dream ticket. We’re very fortunate.’
The show is over and Vita Nova’s actors have climbed into their minibus and
driven away into the night. The auditorium is empty apart from the girl who was
crying during the ‘share’ part of the show.
‘You know, I think they’re really brave to do all that,’ she says. ‘To come up here
and tell us about themselves. I mean they don’t even get paid for it. I reckon if they
manage to turn even one person’s life around they’ll feel it’s been worth it.’
DDN
Ignatius Harling was a volunteer with Vita Nova from 2001-2003 and went on to
train as an actor. He is now employed by Vita Nova as coordinator. www.vitanova.co.uk
Started by a group of ex service users,
Vita Nova has performed plays and delivered
workshops to more than 100,000 people in
schools, youth centres and treatment
facilities. Ignatius Harling sets the scene
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