Impact

Impact comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it involves delivering change on a massive scale, like being invited to the UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN) and international conference to increase awareness and understanding of ADHD among health care professionals and academics by performing our play, Declaration. And others, it’s individual moments, like watching a boy speak openly and honestly with his mum at Conversation Corner; only to return hours later and encourage his teenage sisters to do the same!

Focusing on impact ensures that the work we create doesn’t end when everyone goes home and converts it into action. Our National Curriculum workshops showed that young people were desperate for learning reform – so we lobbied MPs, sharing young people’s opinions to give them agency in educational decision making.

Alongside every project we run participatory activities that create space for further learning, and opportunities for self-reflection and creative expression.

• To support our bilingual children’s play Stan, written in English and British Sign Language we partnered with Manchester Deaf Centre to run Deaf awareness training sessions for teachers and youth workers.
• We offered creative writing workshops for adults and young people with direct experience of living with ADHD who came to watch our play Declaration. These workshops allowed people to share their experiences with each other, celebrate difference, develop creative coping strategies, and build resilience and confidence.
• Our play Secret Diaries was born out of a need to open, safe and eloquent dialogue around issues of homophobia. The play was supported by an educational package including a ‘Making your school LGBT Inclusive’ Teachers’ Training Day, Education Pack with pre and post performance lesson plans and a post-performance workshop with the company.

When we run workshops, we ensure teachers and group leaders have all the tools they need to continue having important conversations. And no matter the job at hand, we ensure that we’re always able to hold space for the people who need it.