The Thursday evening Adult Art & Drama group takes part in a range of activities including drama, dance and visual art. Each week we play a range of games to get to know each other and improve communication and teamwork skills. We then move on to creating work from a range of stimuli, often using improvisation and encouraging group members to shape the direction of the sessions.

There are very few creative outlets for young adults with mild to severe learning difficulties in the Barking & Dagenham area. Established in October 2013, the Adult Art & Drama Group provides opportunities for these young adults to engage in a variety of art forms as well as socialise with people their own age. For many of our participants, this group is their only opportunity to participate in creative activities with their peers.

Our programme provides creative services in a community where they are lacking. The group has gone from strength to strength, developing new skills, making great friendships and creating wonderful artistic outcomes. They have so far created a short film on the theme of journeys, devised and performed several short pieces, and attended a trip to the Unicorn Theatre. We hope to sustain the programme and allow it to grow to continue to engage young adults with learning difficulties in the arts.