On Tuesday 30th November, for one day only, Glasgow’s most stylish Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) is joining forces with Realise Arts, which will house a community arts showcase that will make a difference!
Realise Community Care Project provide a structured day programme, and related services, to people who wish to move away from drug and alcohol problems. The programme is designed to assist clients to instil routine into their daily lives, while developing skills that will encourage the progression towards further education and employment. This approach is a crucial stage in the process between treatment and mainstream education, training or employment.
The programme has also proved to be extremely successful. Of the participant during the year from April 2003 to March 2004;
- 55% moved on to education, training or employment (paid or unpaid)
- 40% became registered with training support
- 25% became involved in voluntary work
- 21% became employed
- 11% started or returned to college or university.
While this level of success in one year is fantastic, it does leave room for improvement. Positive feedback from participants has also shown that the social re-integration process provided in a safe and familiar environment has encouraged acceptance from both marginalized and mainstream members.
A vital factor in this success has been the development of Realise Arts.
Realise Arts is a new community-based arts initiative managed by Realise Community Care Project. Originally established to co-ordinate the uses of art activities in the main Realise programme, it has already developed to the stage of taking this work out into the community.
Aileen Neillie (Arts Co-ordinator) says, “The programme has been developed over the last year and is continuously evaluated, reviewed and adapted where necessary to ensure that the provision suits the needs of the client group and that the outcomes are met.”
This has been achieved using a wide and varied range of arts based workshops, both within the day programme and evening classes. The work is carried out in partnership with other Glasgow-based organisations and intends to involve national arts agencies in the future.
The Realise exhibition, will feature work created by participants of the main programme and evening classes. This will include: several creative writing pieces, a short drama performance, 36 exhibits of visual art and the premier of the new documentary film; Realise: The Future.
The demand for classes throughout the north and northwest areas of the city is increasing. With adequate funding, Realise propose to fill the gaps in arts provision for adults by delivering evening classes in these areas of Glasgow.
In showcasing the clients’ work, Dougie MacMillan (Project Manager) says,
“This event will highlight some of the hidden potential that exists in an often unvalued and marginalized group. It will also demonstrate that imaginative and creative approaches to social re-integration have an extremely important role in helping members of this client group, and others, back into mainstream society.”
Tuesday, 30th November
CCA, Sauchiehall Street
Doors open at 2.00pm
Close at 8.00pm