wolf + water arts company

5-7 December 2007 Edinburgh

A three day course on using drama and theatre techniques with young people who have sexually concerning behaviour

A weekly Arts & video magazine project based at North Devon District Hospital.

(Nationwide 1992 - 2001)

Wolf + Water have run a huge array of drama sessions & workshops for people with mental health issues throughout the UK & Eire, sometimes working within statutory services, on other occasions working with groups from organisations such as MIND & NSF, & including the elderly mental ill.

This course explores the uses of drama, visual arts & movement when working with children & young people who have been the victim of psychological, sexual or physical abuse.

The course covers:

1. Creating perceptions of safety
2. Variations of response - different types & durations of abuse & their possible implications
3. Using drama & arts to work with mistrust & anger
4. Drama & Arts in reframing & understanding the past
5. Saying “no”
6. Skills & confidence building - looking to the future

Explores with staff some of the basic techniques in setting up & executing a drama based programme of work for recreation or social skills with people with mental health problems. Topics covered include:

1. basic group work skills with vulnerable clients
2. using drama to explore communication & interpersonal skills
3. drama to enhance self esteem
4. drama to explore problem solving
5. how to put on performance & to involve “non actors”

(Birmingham, UK, 2000)

A 3-day national conference & celebration held at Midlands Arts Centre of various arts & mental health initiatives from throughout the country. Wolf & Water provided a workshop that demonstrated some of the techniques we have used to work with men with problems of anger & violence, & hosted one of the discussions, & ran a creative workshop for an excellent bunch of mental health service users from Kidderminster.

A course covering all aspect of brief & long term behaviour modification for offenders with problems with anger & violence difficulties. Course includes:

1. Techniques for cognitive awareness & intervention in high risk situations
2. Using drama to create an accessible “language of anger”
3. Drama & arts to explore core roots of angry behaviours
4. Working with depression - the domain of inverted anger
5. Breaking dynamics & rehearsing for the future

(see also the Defusing Bombs project).

A training course for those working with clients on issues of self esteem & peer pressure & the relationship between these & offending behaviour. Course includes:

1. Working with issues of anger & depression
2. Drama & arts to create an accessible language of self esteem
3. Drama to fight the internal critics
4. Breaking dynamics & rehearsing for the future

(Exeter, Devon 1999).

Wolf + Water were theatre company in residency for this multi agency conference exploring therapeutic approaches to working with both the victims & perpetrators of child sexual abuse. The final performance was a difficult & sensitive piece of work that aimed to sum up the key themes of the conference in a human rather than academic way, exploring the impact of work on both victims & those professionals working with them. Wolf + Water also ran a workshop on the use of active drama techniques in treating perpetrators.

(Loughborough University, 1999)

Wolf + Water were theatre company in residence for this user group led conference of the National Inspirational Arts Movement, producing an opening performance to set the agenda for the conference as well as a longer devised closing performance that aimed to sum up the issues that had been raised during the conference & their implications for wider user group development through the UK.