A group of homeless people in Waterloo learnt theatre-making skills, and wrote and performed their own stories in a new creative collaboration between St John’s Waterloo and London City Mission’s near-by Webber Street Day Centre which came together over the course of the pandemic.
St John’sappointed theatre writer and director Vicky Moran to be its new Artist-in-Residence and her project was at the Webber Street centre. Vicky led a six-month course during which participants developed a range of skills from group and solo writing, poetry and the spoken word, to music, physical and image theatre. The final showcase was the result of the collaborative, creative process and involved newly written monologues.
Also taking part was St John’s Community Therapist, Chand Starin Basi, whose role was to offer support to participants as they explored themes of homelessness and belonging. All those involved benefited not only from learning new skills and new forms of self-expression but also from the spirit of community that taking part in a joint creative venture like inspired.
I’m passionate about using theatre as a tool for change - whether that's within ourselves and the way we think about the world and the people we share it with, a change in how we view ourselves, or a bigger societal change. At Webber Street, we’re using different theatre techniques to build confidence and creativity and to empower our participants to share their stories, see themselves as artists and feel heard.
Vicky Moran is a writer, director and community artist based in London and inspired by the social injustices around her.
She fuses multiple disciplines to tell real stories and elevate underrepresented voices. Vicky has worked extensively both in professional and community settings with companies such as: Cardboard Citizens, The Donmar, Soho Theatre, The Old Vic, Clean Break, The Pleasance and Theatre 503. She has created work internationally for: Syn:Format (Syrian Refugee theatre company) at UfaFabrik Festival in Berlin, and Fekat Circus (A street performance company) in Ethiopia.
Vicky is currently an Associate Alumni Artist for Jerwood Arts.
Guests at Webber Street Day Homeless Centre are people on the margins, living in the hostel system, sleeping rough or without fixed housing. We provide cooked breakfasts, hot showers, and clothing, our aim is to help meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of our guests. We are excited to see what unfolds as our guests find new and different ways to express their hearts in this creative way.
We're delighted that our first artist-in-residence project is being carried out in partnership with a local homelessness hostel, with a community that shares in the history and makeup of our area. We hope that the wellbeing and creative benefits of this project can be replicated with other partners and in other venues across Waterloo and Lambeth. And most of all, we look forward to using the wonderful spaces being created at St John’s by our £5 million restoration project due to finish next spring.
