Cardboard Citizens Annual Review 2010–2011

2OUR STORY

Cardboard Citizens has been changing the lives of homeless and displaced people through theatre and the performing arts for over 20 years.

We make theatre that can effect change – personal, social and political – both in the lives of displaced and homeless people and in society’s perceptions of them. We are the UK’s leading practitioners of Theatre of the Oppressed (see p.30). Every year, we reach 1,500 homeless and at-risk people by:

Presenting plays performed by homeless and displaced people, to share experiences and problem-solve together

Making theatre for general audiences so a wider public can share in the company’s learning and understanding of the issues faced by homeless people

Enabling excluded people to develop skills and confidence through projects and workshops

Meeting the practical needs of homeless and displaced people, supporting them in matters of housing, education, employment, health, career and personal development

Working in partnership to widen the reach of the company’s work and underpin its support for participants

Our visionCardboard Citizens strives to be a world leader in its field, creating great theatre that makes a real and positive difference to our society and those living on its margins.

We know that theatre can be a catalyst for change, growth and learning for participants and audiences.

Our ambition is to enable every hostel resident in London to be able to access the company’s work, as audience or participant and to offer all homeless or displaced people who become involved with the company individual help and support.

4MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

I am privileged to be able to introduce this year’s annual review, my first as the Chair of Cardboard Citizens.

Cardboard Citizens is a unique theatre company working with homeless and vulnerable people to produce great art with a powerful social narrative. With homelessness and unemployment figures apparently rising, the company’s unique fusion of creativity and inclusion offers a vital resource, enabling participants to develop their skills, confidence and self-belief whilst also providing an important platform for telling the stories of the marginalised and excluded. This Annual Review sets out the many achievements of the charity over the past year, which add up to an impressive performance in a challenging financial landscape.

Many thanks to my predecessor Dan Mace and fellow trustees, who have helped establish such a positive context for my appointment, and to our staff, volunteers and participants who make this life-changing theatre work happen. We face many challenges over the next few years but I feel confident that we know what these are, and how we are to confront them.

Graham Fisher, ChairChief Executive, Toynbee Hall

Impact at a glance

From those that attend our workshops:

3,572

91%83%

1,55942046% 54%

23%14%

...of which attended Core workshops...

became Members of Cardboard Citizens

entered education, employment or training

achieved level 2 qualification (PEARL)

...attended workshops for young people

accessed 1:1 Information, Advice and Guidance sessions

total homeless and general audiences attended a Cardboard Citizens production

homeless people reached...

...of these attended a workshop...

6WELCOME

Augusto Boal, the great Brazilian theatre-maker who has inspired so much of our work, was fond of quoting a poem by Antonio Machado about the nature of life-journeys, which contains the line: Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar – “Traveller, there is no path; we make the path by walking it”.

This seems as appropriate a description of the life of Cardboard Citizens as any. We are living in straitened times, and 2010-2011 has been a year of finding our feet in this new universe, a year of careful exploration and consolidation. Happily, Cardboard Citizens achieved a number of important milestones in this time, including the start of our new grant from the Big Lottery Fund and the achievement of a new three-year funding agreement from the Arts Council as a National Portfolio Organisation.

As always, we travel this road in company with others, and a number of key partnerships and relationships continued to inform our work - including the National Youth Theatre, St Mungo’s Housing Association, the British Institute of Human Rights, Centrepoint, the Roundhouse, and, in preparation for the coming year, Riverside Studios and Henry Favory Theatre Company of Mauritius (look out for A Few Man Fridays at Riverside Studios in February 2012).

As usual we delivered some fifty performances of our hostels show, Or Am I Alone? by Lizzie Nunnery. The second year of our ACT NOW programme reached 220 young people, who were involved in three different shows during the year. Two members of staff became accredited independent assessors for PEARL (Personal Employability Achievement and Reflection for Learning), meaning that we can now deliver all aspects of that qualification to our Members – and our membership is growing.

On the fundraising front, our ambassador Kate Winslet hosted the wonderful Rough Pearl dinner at Christ Church Spitalfields, including entertainment from some 40 participants, which raised over £100k and made new friends for the company. Stewart Lee led a stellar line-up for our annual Bums on Seats comedy night, a first Cardboard Citizens foray into the West End. Oh, yes, and we cycled from London to Paris!

The future is looking bright, with the premiere of our second history play, A Few Man Fridays¸ and more Olympics-related projects in 2012. I hope you will continue to make the path with us.

Adrian Jackson, Artistic Director & CEO

8

ENGAGEMENT

SPECT-ACTOR

HOSTEL TOUR

OUTREACHWORKSHOPS

MEMBER JOURNEY #1

There was a big conflict in my family, which caused us to break down. My mum took me to London to stay with a friend and left me there. After a week I had to declare myself homeless and eventually got a place in a YMCA. I saw that this company called Cardboard Citizens were coming to do a drama workshop in my hostel. I’d done some drama before and loved it so I was looking forward to it for days before the workshop!

On the day I was nervous, self-conscious and couldn’t perform. But I enjoyed it and signed up for ACT NOW. That’s how I got to be in the show Up on the Roof. My proudest moments were going on tour with Off the Shelf when Cardboard Citizens worked in collaboration with the Roundhouse, and also doing professional work with Tony, involving human rights training for Irish Travellers and migrant women. I felt part of the company.

Since getting involved with Cardboard Citizens my punctuality has improved and it made me realise how important that was in the world of work. I’m much more professional, focussed and less easily distracted. I feel confident and happy to work with people from all different backgrounds. Basically I’ve matured! I know how I need to act in different situations and don’t get so bothered by the small things. Cardboard Citizens made me realise I didn’t deal with my own emotions and it was time to get help. Now I’m getting counselling around what I’ve experienced. I want to face my problems, not put on a front, otherwise I’ll break down when I’m older.

With the help of Cardboard Citizens I have secured a place in a new hostel after my old one chucked me out. I hope to be in my own flat by January. I am about to start a course at Hammersmith college. Without Cardboard Citizens helping me (whether with emotional or practical matters), all the lovely workshops and experiences, I don’t think I would’ve managed to get where I am at now. Even though I don’t have a family, being with Cardboard Citizens made me feel like they were my family from day one.

M, 20

Cardboard Citizens Annual Review 2010–2011

101. ENGAGEMENT

Homelessness is about more than not having a home. In order for people to rebuild their lives, they need inspiration. Many homeless people are disengaged from their communities and feel alienated from society. They often suffer from mental health problems, drug and alcohol addiction and low levels of self-esteem. We work by engaging people through interactive theatre, earning their trust, and making them feel safe and valued in the process. This is the first step of a journey towards progress and transformation.

Cardboard Citizens does this through an annual Hostel Tour & regular Outreach Workshops:

Hostel Tour 70% of our membership encounters the company through our annual Hostel Tour

A professional production visits over 40 hostels, day centres and prisons every year

The actors have all experienced homelessness Stories are often inspired by the real-life experiences of our Members

We engage audience members in a debate by using interactive Forum Theatre: audience become Spect-actors. They are invited to get on stage and try their solution to the issues presented

The actors are also trained as mentors: after the show, they talk to the audience about the issues explored during the performance and invite them to become Members

Read about the 2010 show Or Am I Alone? on p.20

Outreach workshops Cardboard Citizens runs workshops in hostels, day centres and shelters

Company Members volunteer to accompany the workshops and promote them to their peers

Participants are given a taster of Cardboard Citizens’ work and invited to join our regular performing arts workshops

By participating in a show or workshop, homeless people become engaged with the company and stimulated about the possibilities of change in their lives and in society. Just because we play to an unusual audience in unlikely spaces doesn’t mean we can compromise the artistic quality of the work: our audiences are often challenging, and the engagement is only successful if the show is good enough to attract and maintain their interest.

LEARNING

FORUMTHEATRE

STREET2STAGE

DANCE

FORUM THEATRETRAINING WEEK

ACTING

MUSICMAKING

SAMBA

PERFORMANCES

ACT NOWCORE

WORKSHOPS

122. LEARNING

While many homeless services focus on covering basic needs such as food and shelter, it is now commonly accepted that moving away from homelessness requires fulfilment of other essential needs such as building up confidence, skills and a social network. Workshops are a safe place for people to meet and creatively explore challenges they face; working with a group of their peers, they can craft something of beauty out of their shared difficult experiences.

After the initial engagement with Cardboard Citizens through seeing a hostel show or attending an outreach workshop, participants are invited to attend weekly workshops in a variety of performing arts based on their age and interests:

Core performing arts workshops: For those over 18 covering a wide range of activities from Forum Theatre, to Samba drumming

ACT NOW: A year-long programme aimed at 16-25 year olds who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness and who are classified as ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET)

All workshops are free, open-access and led by professional facilitators. They are designed to build on a range of core skills through exploring all aspects of the theatre making process, from acting and devising to script writing and directing.

Workshops allow staff to build trust and relationships with participants. One-to-one tailored support and guidance is always on hand to help participants move away from homelessness. We work with partner organisations to support people to make positive changes in their lives – whether it’s helping them to secure a qualification, join a training course, volunteer or find employment.

The workshops provide a training ground for actors who may then secure paid employment through our Hostel Tour or Event Theatre productions.

SUPPORT

USINGCOMPUTERIN OFFICE

ACTIONPLAN

FOLLOW-UP

MEMBERS’MEETINGS

BOARD REPS

SOCIALNETWORKOBJECTIVES

IAG MEMBERSHIP

143. SUPPORT

Members who come along to our workshops find that their confidence and motivation increases through regular participation: the support we offer allows this energy to be harnessed positively so people can move forward with their lives outside of workshops.

Cardboard Citizens offers a range of tailored support to all Members: Focused and personalised Information, Advice and Guidance sessions (IAG) to help people find employment and training

General support with an emphasis on ensuring Members’ wellbeing. Sometimes Members just drop by to have a chat, a cup of tea and feel like they are part of a network

Opportunities for Members to use the IT facilities in the office to prepare CVs, look for training or employment opportunities, or work on personal projects.

Cardboard Citizens hosts quarterly Members’ meetings where consultation takes place; at these, Members elect Board Representatives, reflect on personal and company-wide achievements, and are encouraged to feed into the future development of Cardboard Citizens and its services.

The bulk of support sessions take place in the Cardboard Citizens office but support is also offered by telephone and email as well as at workshops.

Members are made aware of the support offered through our membership inductions, Members’ meetings, post Hostel Tour ring rounds, workshop staff presence, and on our website.

Underpinning the support offered at Cardboard Citizens is the desire to promote an ease of communication and an open approach whilst ensuring that we offer a professional service designed to get the best possible outcome for each of our Members.

PROGRESSION EMPLOYMENT

QUALIFICATIONSACTORS /MENTORS

AUDIENCESTRAINING

RE-ENGAGEMENTWITH SUPPORT

SERVICES

VOLUNTEERING

PEARL

PROFESSIONALEXPERIENCE

EVENTTHEATRE

164. PROGRESSION

Cardboard Citizens employs a team of trained support workers to help participants in whatever way they need, as they forge a path out of homelessness.

Cardboard Citizens offers a few key progression routes: The completion of the Personal Employability Achievement and Reflection for Learning (PEARL) certificate, which is tied to projects culminating in a public sharing or performance. PEARL is a level 2 qualification acredited by the Qualifications and Credit Framework which assesses Members’ self-awareness, social skills, management of feelings, empathy and motivation over the course of their involvement in a creative project.

As Members move from workshops to rehearsals to a public performance, their skills are evaluated and they are asked to reflect on the progress they make at each stage. Regular reflection on achievements fosters greater levels of self-esteem and heightened aspiration, which can lead to Members making progress in other areas of their lives:

– Into jobs, training, or education– With the advocacy of Cardboard Citizens staff, to

reconnect with support services – To a variety of roles, voluntary and paid, within

Cardboard Citizens

Members have the opportunity to volunteer in the office as workshop assistants or they can participate in the company’s professional Theatre of the Oppressed training courses. Each year a few Members are employed as paid actors for the Hostel Tour and our large-scale Event Theatre productions for the general public.

18

MEMBER JOURNEY #2

It was the 2nd November 2010. Cardboard Citizens came to the Hopetown hostel. They performed a show and the audience was allowed to intervene at the end, come up, and do a little improvisation. I said ‘stop’ and I was brought up on stage.

I came to Cardboard Citizens purely for the confidence, I wanted to rediscover myself, and I felt when I intervened in the hostel something was given to me. Straight away. I thought I would be able to grow.

My proudest moment? I think it was when I said ‘stop’. Because If I didn’t, I think things would have been a lot different for me.

I think being employed on the Hostel Tour this year I’ve been given the opportunity to take myself to a different level, on a different part of my journey. On the same night I saw the hostel show, I gave up alcohol. So to be on the Hostel Tour this year will be massive, it will be fantastic that I can share my sobriety, and I’ll be clean.

I’m always being pushed, I’m rediscovering myself - even talking in front of people, I find it impossible at times, and I’ve done it for years. I’ve almost not had a voice. Mute more like. I’m journeying towards my confidence, to be in a group activity is a huge thing for me, and when I get pushed I get amazed straight away, like wow, I’m doing this, and I have fantastic people around me, directors and the support staff. It’s a great umbrella to be under.

I’m just so grateful that I’m part of this. I’ve been looking for something like this for a really long, long time, something that I can really bounce off of. The people allow me to do that ‘cos there’re so many characters out there. I’m quite a complex person anyway, and I grew up thinking that was something to be ashamed of. People used to say ‘You’re weird!’, but actually I quite love it. And I can be that weirdness in here.

I am excited. The rehearsals are very intense, I’ve got ideas, it’s just leaning over and putting them across. I still have barriers, but I know as time goes on Cardboard Citizens will allow for me to reduce them.

H, 32

20HOSTEL TOUR – OR AM I ALONE?

“The whole experience was very moving, extremely emotional and close to home. The acting and performance was superb. Actors allowed the residents to participate and feel involved. It was about hope and empowerment as well as being very informative.” Staff member, St Mungo’s

This year’s hostel show was written by award-winning playwright and singer-songwriter Lizzie Nunnery. Or Am I Alone? is a poetic exploration of three very different stories of homelessness informed by interviews and research with company Members. As usual, the format of the production was interactive Forum Theatre featuring ex-homeless actors with a facilitator (the ‘Joker’, in Forum jargon) who engages the audience in a theatrical debate. The audience is encouraged to stop the action, come on stage and rehearse possibilities for change and progress. The production featured original songs accompanied by live guitar, and the characters in the show came from right across the homeless spectrum, from sex-workers to asylum-seekers, to a bankrupt construction worker losing his home due to the recession.

A 9% increase on last year’s audiences was achieved partly by the deployment of 10 company Members as Ambassadors of the tour, helping to support the performances, promote the show and talk to people in hostels afterwards about joining Cardboard Citizens. Four well-received public showcases

were staged at Toynbee Studios and Amnesty International, accompanied by a one-day event, Rehearsal for Life, aimed at sharing good practice with the applied drama community.

The range of interventions was as wide as ever, ranging from suggestions involving reasoned discussion to the proffering of belly dance and yoga classes as an alternative environment for recovering addicts to hang out in. The tour was not without its fair share of backstage drama too as Jono, one of the actor/mentors, bravely performed with a broken arm for the last few weeks. The show must go on!

A short film about the Hostel Tour was produced under the Media Trust’s Volunteer Filmmaking initiative and broadcast on the Community Channel in March 2011.

544

1,38563%28%

actors with experience of homelessnessemployed

hostels, day centres and prisons toured

were homeless or at risk of becoming so

total audiencereached

became company Members

22CORE WORKSHOPS

“I’d done a year’s work of workshops with Cardboard Citizens in Crisis and it just opened my life up. It opened something inside of me and I’ve been just chasing it ever since, its brought a real passion into my life, I love it.” J, Company Member

Ensuring that more homeless people can experience and be inspired by the performing arts remains at the heart of our mission. In total we engaged 195 homeless adults (an increase of 25% on last year) in the performing arts through:

Forum Theatre and Acting for Theatre Three annual terms of two weekly workshops in Forum

Theatre and improvisation techniques for adults over 18 at Crisis Skylight in Spitalfields, London

Street2Stage Year-round weekly workshops taking place at the Rag

Factory and Brady Arts Centre focused on creating material for public performance. Street2Stage workshops incorporate a range of performance skills including movement, voice and accent work

Samba at Spitalfields Summer workshops in Samba drumming, dancing,

costume-making and puppetry leading to public performances in London’s street festivals

The Cardboard Citizens choir and music ensemble also made appearances at Christmas concerts and at the fundraising dinner. Performances by workshop participants took place at the Shaftesbury Apollo (opening for Bums on Seats comedy fundraiser), Spitalfields Festival, Brady Arts Centre; Christ Church Spitalfields (fundraising dinner) and at various homelessness sector events.

Residencies included a commission for St Mungo’s, exploring issues facing their service users through Forum Theatre, and the month-long Samba project hosted by Providence Row involving 32 homeless people and leading up to a performance at Spitalfields Festival.

In February 2011, the company completed Street Scenes - a writing residency with Spread the Word (a company promoting New Writing and Literature in London) involving 8 Cardboard Citizens participants.

8219516%workshops

delivered

homeless people reached

achieved a level 2 qualification (PEARL)

24ACT NOW

“This process is such a safe environment, such a positive environment. It’s taken us on a real journey. It gives people a chance to relax and leave things from their lives at the door and come into a space that is open. A place for magic to happen.“ R, ACT NOW participant

ACT NOW is Cardboard Citizens’ youth theatre programme targeted at young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless (NEET).

In July 2010 ACT NOW celebrated the end of its first year of weekly workshops with performances of An Open Book at the International Youth Arts Festival (Kingston) and the Brady Arts Centre (East London). The show reached an audience of 240 received an overwhelmingly positive response: ”Beautiful, poetic and moving. A powerful message.”

In August 2010, we worked with homelessness charity Look Ahead to deliver 5 weeks of workshops and create an original Forum Theatre play, Up On The Roof. A new year of weekly workshops was launched in September 2010, reaching 86 young people in the first two terms.

In March 2011 we were commissioned by the Roundhouse to deliver Set the Scene, a project targeted at young

homeless people and based on the ACT NOW engagement model. The Roundhouse also provides a progression route for ACT NOW participants through their arts training courses. Cardboard Citizens are now approved providers for Young London Working, who provide placement opportunities for our Members.

All of this has enabled us to send off an exceptional batch of young people into the world! Over the year, participants wrote and directed their own shows as well as getting onto university courses, apprenticeships, placements and into employment. They took the initiative to set up the Youth Leadership Forum, a body of ACT NOW graduates who feed back to the project by volunteering as peer ambassadors and workshop assistants.

100220

28%10%9%

achieved a level 2 qualification (PEARL)

workshops delivered

performed in a public show

young homeless people reached

became mentors or ambassadors

26INFORMATION, ADVICE & GUIDANCE

“Cardboard Citizens is like a parachute because I’ve been free falling. Thank God they are there because they’re a very good safety net for me. Sensible, caring, intelligent people who I want to keep bumping into for the rest of my life.” K, Company Member

Information Advice and Guidance (IAG)Cardboard Citizens is unique because it offers a specialist support service for people who attend the company’s workshops: we build on the inspiration generated by the performing arts and on the rapport of trust we develop with participants, to help them make positive changes in their lives.

Qualified IAG Workers offer regular one-to-one support around accessing education, training and employment. Members can access sessions at the company’s office but also at workshops, by email or over the phone. The support staff regularly attend training to ensure that their knowledge on changes in housing allocation and benefits remains current. Thanks to our relationships with other social sector organisations, we are able to help Members with a range of issues.

In many instances the IAG worker plays an advocacy role when a member is disconnected from specialist support services: recent outcomes have included getting a young member re-housed after being evicted from a hostel; advocating for Home Office tag restrictions to be removed, allowing the Member to live a more complete life; and generally encouraging Members to get more involved with Cardboard Citizens’ activities.

Peer leadership and consultation is incredibly important in nurturing a sense of community within the company. Cardboard Citizens achieved this through four well-attended Members’ meetings where Board Representatives were elected and Members had a chance to share their personal progress and input into future development of the company.

440-50

38390%16%

accessed information, advice and guidance

new Members

Members attended each Members’ meeting

Members’ meetings held

entered education, employment or training

28MEMBER JOURNEY #3

Before I came to Cardboard Citizens I had just come out of a relationship and was depressed. Not a nice place to be. I was homeless and there was nowhere for me to go. The Council directed me to Crisis, I registered there and they said I could take classes. I was just happy to have a place to sleep in the winter.

I remember a poster for Cardboard Citizens in my hostel. I came down and honestly I was impressed with their acting. After the play, the staff gave me some information and told me: ‘you can come and play with us.’

And I went to one of the workshops. I was so, so nervous. It was for this Rough Pearl project and I wanted to stay because they did professional work, and ran it like a theatre. It was the first time I experienced warmth and felt in safe hands. Theatre people have empathy and I felt in a safe place.

We talked about confidence on the stage. This was what I was missing. They were talking about people’s needs. I was really surprised and shocked, that all my questions, which I thought were mine, other people had too.

Cardboard Citizens are these people who support you and I see it as my new beginning. It was a great experience, and in March I saw Kate Winslet there. She was holding her hands, she gave me wink, and I honestly felt she was passing a message to me.

Right now, I go to college. It’s a different environment there, a different challenge for me. I’m not scared any more. Cardboard Citizens, they made it better for me. And then Kate gave me a kind of confidence, in that moment, to know who I am.

Z, 38

30SHARING GOOD PRACTICE

“After 8 years of delivering human rights training, I have to say this new approach was inspiring and refreshing!” British Institute of Human Rights

“Adrian was a very skilled trainer and very generous with his experience.” Participant, Theatre of the Oppressed training

Cardboard Citizens’ work spans the art and social sectors. As leaders in participatory theatre methods, we are passionate about sharing our expertise in using the arts as a tool for engagement and change with like-minded organisations. As a small charity, we extend the reach of our work by partnering with larger sector organisations to deliver a variety of projects.

TrainingEvery year, the company’s artistic team trains practitioners from both the arts and social sectors through a range of courses, interventions and masterclasses. Cardboard Citizens specialises in Theatre of the Oppressed, a methodology pioneered by the late Augusto Boal for creating personal and social change through theatre, with particular application to communities experiencing oppression.

In addition to the company’s annual training programmes

in Theatre of the Oppressed techniques (Forum Theatre, Joker, and Rainbow of Desires), the artistic team also visited Australia, Brazil, Netherlands, Spain, India and Wales to train hundreds of professionals in delivering social inclusion and arts projects.

PartnershipIn 2010-2011 Cardboard Citizens worked in partnership with the National Youth Theatre, Look Ahead, Centrepoint, Providence Row, St Mungo’s, the British Institute of Human Rights, Amnesty International, Combatants for Peace and the Roundhouse.

Cardboard Citizens has successfully applied to be a specialist sub-contractor for the Work Programme in East London working with Prime organisations who have successfully tendered to DWP.

Over the next year we look forward to collaborating with the Henry Favory Theatre Company from Mauritius and Riverside Studios in London to bring the story of A Few Man Fridays to a wide audience.

Are you interested in taking part in one of our training courses or collaborating with us? Contact kathrine@cardboardcitizens.org.uk

32FUNDRAISING EVENTS

“The highlight of a wonderful evening was hearing the ex-homeless performers’ stories told as theatre, and then meeting the actors downstairs. Everyone was beaming with a sense of achievement, that’s what Cardboard Citizens does so well.” Kate Winslet

This year the company raised significant resources from an ever-growing programme of fundraising events, calling on the generosity of our patrons, neighbours and sponsors with a little help from our amazing ambassador Kate Winslet.

Bums on SeatsIn June 2010 we held our third annual comedy fundraiser Bums on Seats at the Lyric Theatre in the West End with the support of the fantastic Stewart Lee, who has been supporting Cardboard Citizens for the past three years. A stellar line-up of top comedians- Daniel Kitson, Robin Ince, Josie Long and Andy Zaltzman- had the audience in fits. Cardboard Citizens participants opened the show with a tongue-in-cheek sketch teaching the audience how to ‘spare some change’.

Down and Out London to Paris cycle19 cyclists (including two company Members) braved sweat, fatigue and saddle sores for our pilot cycling

adventure to Paris in September 2010. We cycled 230 miles over 3 days through some beautiful English and French countryside. It was worth it just to stop the traffic across the eight lanes of the Arc De Triomphe upon arrival!

Fundraising Dinner In March 2011, our Ambassador Kate Winslet hosted our biennial fundraising dinner. We took over the magnificent Christ Church Spitalfields for a night of glamour, entertainment and generosity.

Kate herself joined the cast of over 40 company Members in a short scene at the beginning of the night. Under the theme of Baroque=Rough Pearl, the company’s actors put on a show for the 200 guests present, showcasing a wide variety of talent from Samba drumming to acting and even opera. The fundraising engine of the evening was an auction featuring a wide range of exclusive lots run by Lars Tharp from BBC’s Antique Roadshow featuring Kate’s dress and artwork by the Chapman Brothers, Rachel Whiteread and Tracey Emin, who was also in attendance.

Would you like to fund-raise for Cardboard Citizens? Contact petia@cardboardcitizens.org.uk to see how you can get involved with any of our upcoming fundraising events or even organise your own!

34MEMBER JOURNEY #4

I’m on a lifelong process: trying to sort my life out. I was in jail doing a 20 weeks sentence for silliness, when Cardboard Citizens came in and did a play for us. What was different was that they ran the play and then Terry said: ‘We’re going to do it again, but if there is anything you don’t like or think could have been done differently then shout stop and tell us how you think it should go’. If you said stop, they said come up, and you took their place. This was ideal for me because I like getting involved in stuff. I really liked interactive theatre, and I really believe it can be used for many things.

Cardboard Citizens rang me up within a week of me coming out of jail. And at the time I thought, wow, I want to do more stuff. It gave me the taste.

I’m going reinvent myself as a performance poet. When I came out of jail, I’d probably done one or two performances at the university before that. Now I’m at the stage where I’ve got four poems that are memorised, and ready to deliver at a drop of a hat and entertain people.

My proudest moment was doing the 300 mile fundraising bike ride with Cardboard Citizens. What was really good was that it was hard. It was really hard, but you just keep going. Life can be hard, but you just keep going and enjoy the bloody ride. And at the end I performed my poem, and it was really well received. I was very active during that ride.

I’m trying to get back into uni now. It’s to make an impact, and that’s what I wanna do. I believe I’ve gotten support. I’m aware that Cardboard Citizens are there, but I don’t feel any pressure. They’re there to support me and share my goal.

The skill which I think I’m in the process of developing is just being calm and easy. When things are not going how I would like them to go, I say my bit and then sit down and don’t say anymore. Look for the bigger issue.

E, 47

36VOLUNTEERS EVENT CALENDAR 11/12

The Roundhouse commissions Cardboard Citizens to create Audition of Dreams, working with 11 homeless/NEET young people. Terry O’Leary (Associate Artist) devises & directs; Term 3 of ACT NOW: weekly workshops for young people aged 16-26; Term 3 of Forum Theatre & Acting for Life workshops at Crisis Skylight

APR-11

Adrian Jackson teaches Theatre of the Oppressed in Singapore and Taiwan; Forum Training Week for company Members

JUN-11

Rainbow of Desires professional training course; Cardboard Citizens Samba band perform at the Hackney One carnival

AUG-11

MAY-11 Bola Agbaje commissioned to write Cardboard Citizens’ 2011 Hostel Tour; New term of Street2Stage workshops at the Brady Arts Centre; Intensive Forum Theatre training week for St Mungo’s Mare Street residents

JUL-11 ACT NOW end-of-year show Life Ain’t No Musical: 3 shows at the Brady Arts Centre; Carnival arts workshops at St Mungo’s Mare Street hostel

SEP-11 Fundraising cycle: London to Amsterdam; Term 1 of ACT NOW; Images of Occupation – a workshop with Israeli – Palestinian Theatre of the Oppressed group Combatants for Peace at Amnesty International; Samba band perform at the Mayor’s Thames Festival; Recording of Mincemeat for BBC Radio 3; Autumn term of workshops at Crisis Skylight; Term 1 of Street2Stage at Brady Arts Centre, Forum Theatre and Acting for Life at Crisis Skylight;

“Cardboard Citizens’ long-standing dedication to combating homelessness in practical and tangible ways was both an exciting and rewarding challenge to be a part of as a volunteer. The welcoming and friendly atmosphere provided by both employees and Members allowed me the chance to develop valuable skills in the arts and charity sector. Crucially, it gave me an insight into how the arts are able to uniquely address the social and personal needs of marginalised people in a way that is participatory, open and collaborative. It was a great pleasure to work with such supportive and committed people.” Nick Gibson, Volunteer for Marketing and Development Team

Volunteering is a great way to develop your skills, meet new people and works as part of an enthusiastic team. Cardboard Citizens’ volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds from company Members to drama students and highly skilled professionals. If you are passionate about the performing arts and would like to make a difference to the lives of homeless people, you could play a vital part in helping Cardboard Citizens achieve its mission by:

Supporting workshops, rehearsals and performances Assisting with fundraising, marketing & events Helping run the office Peer mentoring staff & company Members

In 2010-2011 volunteer-led initiatives promoted the Hostel Tour through our Ambassador programme, set up partnerships, designed marketing materials, made films and presentations, secured fabulous prizes for our fundraising auction and approached celebrities for support.

We would like to thank all the talented and dedicated volunteers who contributed their time and their skills to helping Cardboard Citizens achieve its mission in 2010-2011.

If you are interested in volunteering for Cardboard Citizens please download an application form from our website and email stuart@cardboardcitizens.org.uk

38 THE JOURNEY CONTINUES – EVENT CALENDAR 11/12

INCOME 2010-11

EXPENDITURE 2010-11

1%Corporate Income

2% Performance / Conference Fees

4% Training Income

18% Individuals / Events Income

33% Trusts & Foundations

20% Statutory Income

Young People Programmmes

24%

Hostel Tour Programmme

24%

Workshop Programmes

18%

Cost of Generating

Voluntary Income

15%Event Theatre research & development 10%

Cost of Providing Training Courses 6%Governance Costs 3%

22% LotteryFunding

Hostel Tour opens, touring 40 hostels, day centres and prisons

OCT-11Hostel Tour Three Blind Mice

DEC-11

10 February: A Few Man Fridays opens at Riverside Studios

FEB-12

NOV-11 13 November: Mincemeat broadcast on BBC Radio 3; Professional training courses: Forum Theatre and Joker; 28 & 29 November: Public showcase of Three Blind Mice at Toynbee Studios

JAN-12 Rehearsals for A Few Man Fridays; Term 2 of Street2Stage at Brady Arts Centre, Forum Theatre and Acting for Life at Crisis Skylight Term 2 of ACT NOW

MAR-12 A Few Man Fridays at Riverside Studios until 10th March

40FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2011.

Incoming resourcesStatutory Income 201,918Big Lottery Fund 222,255Training Income 44,551Trusts & Foundations 326,890Corporate Income 10,000Performance /Conference Fees 19,996Individuals/Event Income 182,614Total incoming resources 1,008,224

Resources expendedCosts of generating voluntary income 108,706Cost of providing training courses 41,894

Charitable activities costs Workshop Programmes 132,053Young People Programmes 180,347Hostel Tour Programme 181,198Event Theatre research & development 74,281

Governance Costs 20,791Total resources expended 739,269

Free/General Reserves:The Trustees have reviewed the reserves of the charity. To safeguard the core activities in periods of fluctuating income, the Trustees have determined to establish unrestricted, free reserves (i.e. those reserves not tied up in fixed assets or designated for use) to cover three months of operational costs. Free reserves at 31 March 2011 were £110,594.

Designated Funds:The charity designated a sum of £215,021 for the following purposes: Capital investment fund of £50,021 against the fixed operating assets and specific capacity building needs of the organisation

Production investment fund of £155,000 assigned to planned future productions

Fundraising investment fund of £10,000 for the purpose of future development and support of the company’s fundraising capacity, e.g. major donor development.

Restricted Funds:On 31 March 2011 £60,000 in funds were restricted for the delivery of the company’s programme of workshops with integrated support.

77p from every £1 goes directly on services to homeless people or helps those who are at risk of homelessness.

42THANK YOU – FUNDRAISING DINNER

Cardboard Citizens would like to thank everyone who gave their time, money and energy towards our fundraising dinner in 2011.

Thanks to Kate Winslet for being a fabulous Ambassador by hosting the event on our behalf. Thanks also to the following companies:

Act IV, Adidas, AllSaints, Anand Collection Ltd, Arnold & Henderson, BBC Antiques Roadshow, Best Buy UK, Birmingham Opera Company, Blitz Communications, Burberry, Buyagift.com, Capital International Ltd, Christ Church Spitalfields, Cinven Foundation, Collabrium, Della Valle Family, Dunhill, Espirito Santo Investment Bank, Flint Hire & Supply, Fiorentina Football Club, Fieldings Transport, Foundling Museum, Genesis Imaging Limited, Getty Images, Globe Theatre, Gorgeous Gourmets, Gramophone, HG Capital, Hip Chalets, House of St Barnabas in Soho, HSBC, HMDigiart, Inter Milan Football Club, IBID, Interabang, Key Capital, Lombard Street Research, Longines, Martin Wishart Cook School, McFly, McQueens LLP, Moët & Chandon, Mother London, Museo Mille Miglia, Orient Express, Premier PR, Production Resource Group, Redburn Partners, Reebok, Resolution Property, Rockspring, Sanford C. Bernstein, Screaming Colour, SDNA, Siobhan Davies

Dance, Shoreditch House, Shoreditch Trust Restaurants, Sipsmith, Six Whiting Street, Soho House Group, Soho Theatre, SSL Insurance Brokers, Taylor Black, Taylor Made, Tesco, The Aston Experience, The Ambassador Theatre Group, The Carphone Warehouse, The Golden Heart, The School of Life, The Swan Collection, Thyme at Southrop, The Swinging Little Big Band, Tod’s, Vasari Global, Wright Sure Special thanks to our sponsors Espirito Santo Investment Bank and also to Diana Choyleva, Lara Pellini and Sandra Esquilant for their passion and commitment.

44THANK YOU

Very special thanks to our wonderful Ambassador Kate Winslet for her continuous support and for the inspiration she provides for our Members and supporters.

We are incredibly grateful to all the generous people and organisations whose financial and in-kind support makes our work possible.

Trusts & FoundationsAlma Jean Henry Charitable TrustBBC Performing Arts FundBlue Door FoundationCharles S French Charitable TrustTrust for London (City Parochial Foundation)De Laszlo FoundationThe Dorothy Howard Charitable TrustDrapers Charitable FundErnest Hecht Charitable FoundationEsmée Fairbairn FoundationGeoffrey Craven Charitable TrustThe Gibbs TrustHarold Hyam Wingate Foundation

The Henry Smith CharityJ Paul Getty Jr Charitable TrustJohn Booth Charitable TrustJohn & Susan Bowers FundThe N Smith Charitable SettlementOdin Charitable TrustPaul Hamlyn FoundationThe Religious Society of FriendsThe Sir Jules Thorn Charitable TrustThe D’Oyly Carte Charitable TrustThe Gledswood Charitable TrustThe Hon M L Astor’s Charitable TrustThe Lord Faringdon Charitable TrustThe MCPIN FoundationThe Rind FoundatuionThe J And D Hambro Charitable TrustThe Joan Strutt Charitable TrustThe Syder Foundation

Statutory FundingArts Council EnglandBig Lottery Fund, Reaching Communities British Council, IndiaLondon Borough of Tower HamletsLondon CouncilsRoyal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

CorporateCinven FoundationLombard Street ResearchExecution Charitable TrustCapital International LtdPret Foundation TrustLloyds TSB Foundation for England & WalesThe Allen and Overy FoundationPenguin Group

Community Groups:Godolphin & Latymer School

Gifts-in-Kind:Ashridge Business School Mother AdvertisingPret A Manger

Thanks to Howell Schroeder, John Higgins and Kathleen King.

Thanks to all the Friends of Cardboard Citizens for their ongoing support and the brave cyclists who rode from London to Paris to fundraise for us.

46CONNECT WITH US

Cardboard Citizens26 Hanbury St, London E1 6QR

Visit: www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk Email: mail@cardboardcitizens.org.ukCall: 020 7247 7747Facebook: Cardboard CitizensTwitter: @CardboardCitzYouTube: CardboardCitzTv

Trustees:Andy GanfBarbra MazurGraham Fisher (Chair)John Moffatt (Treasurer)Jonathan SandallMary Ann HushlakMojisola AdebayoPhilip ParrSean Dalton Sian Edwardes- EvansSue Timothy

Staff:Adrian JacksonCathy WeatheraldEmilia TegliaKathrine Quiller-CroasdellLisa CaugheyMike SellsPetia TzanovaStuart GreyTasneem AfsaruddinTerry O’LearyTony McBrideValentine LeysYago De La TorreZahid Tabbassum

Photography: Cardboard Citizens, HMDigiArt, Ricardo Jephcote and Simon Annand Design by: Interabang.uk.com Reg Charity No: 1042457

An Open Book Rose Theatre, Kingston & Brady Arts Centre, July 2010

Cardboard Citizens 26 Hanbury St, London E1 6QR Visit: www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk Email: mail@cardboardcitizens.org.uk

Call: 020 7247 7747 Facebook: Cardboard Citizens Twitter: @CardboardCitzYouTube: CardboardCitzTv

The beginning. It’s a hard step - Moving forward. There’s something closed. You want to go. You want to, but you’re scared to. It’s not easy. Letting go and reaching. It’s a big stride.

And then... It’s like a door opens And you’re being set free.

Rough PearlChrist Church Spitalfields, March 2011

You start life with a hand of cards, and the rest of your life is learning how to play it. It’s not just the cards you get dealt, it’s the way that you play ‘em.

Cardboard Citizens 26 Hanbury St, London E1 6QR Visit: www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk Email: mail@cardboardcitizens.org.uk

Call: 020 7247 7747 Facebook: Cardboard Citizens Twitter: @CardboardCitzYouTube: CardboardCitzTv

Up On The RoofBrady Arts Centre, Sep 2010

How are you with heights? That feeling of climbing, step by step, taking you higher, always higher – taking it to the edge?

Some people can’t do it, need to stay on the ground. Vertigo they call it. They think it’s the fear of heights, the fear of falling. It’s not. Vertigo’s not the fear of falling, it’s the fear of the desire to fall. That feeling when you look over the edge and you want to go, you feel the pull to go, your body wants to go – or is it your mind?

Cardboard Citizens 26 Hanbury St, London E1 6QR Visit: www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk Email: mail@cardboardcitizens.org.uk

Call: 020 7247 7747 Facebook: Cardboard Citizens Twitter: @CardboardCitzYouTube: CardboardCitzTv

“With a more than competent cast and an appetite for change, Cardboard Citizens is a company committed to addressing social problems head on.” Helena Rampley, London Theatre Project

Cardboard Citizens 26 Hanbury St, London E1 6QR Visit: www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk Email: mail@cardboardcitizens.org.uk

Call: 020 7247 7747 Facebook: Cardboard Citizens Twitter: @CardboardCitzYouTube: CardboardCitzTv

Samba at SpitalfieldsAugust 2010

Forum Week Training, St Mungo’s Hostel, Mare St,July 2010

“Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me there’s a way back. Tell me fallen down things can be built up again. Tell me you’re running this show; you’re writing this story; you’re in this fight. Tell it like you mean it. Because I wanna believe in happy endings.” the Joker, Or Am I Alone?

Cardboard Citizens 26 Hanbury St, London E1 6QR Visit: www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk Email: mail@cardboardcitizens.org.uk

Call: 020 7247 7747 Facebook: Cardboard Citizens Twitter: @CardboardCitzYouTube: CardboardCitzTv

BE PART OF THE JOURNEY

Every year Cardboard Citizens’ performances and workshops reach 1,500 homeless and at-risk Londoners. Almost all of our work is funded by donations. We rely on the help of individuals and businesses, and it is regular contributions that allow us to plan for the future.

What Your Gift Pays For: £20 allows one homeless person to volunteer in the Cardboard Citizens office for two days, gaining valuable work experience;

£30 pays for the travel expenses of one young homeless person to attend a week of intensive rehearsals leading to an accredited qualification;

£100 pays for a performing arts workshop for 20 homeless people with individual support allowing them to develop their skills and confidence and make positive changes to their lives;

£500 enables us to employ 1 actor/mentor with experience of homelessness for 1 week during our Hostel Tour to perform to homeless audiences around London;

£5,000 pays for 1 week of performances combined with mentoring and one-to-one support in hostels and day centres for homeless people in London.

Your time is precious to us. If you would like to contribute through in-kind support or discuss your gift with us contact: jennifer@cardboardcitizens.org.uk

Table Stories,Christ Church Spitalfields, March 2011

“The voices in his head, the voices from the war –What was bad can be turned into something to use...Theatre can use the voices in our heads...”

Cardboard Citizens 26 Hanbury St, London E1 6QR Visit: www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk Email: mail@cardboardcitizens.org.uk

Call: 020 7247 7747 Facebook: Cardboard Citizens Twitter: @CardboardCitzYouTube: CardboardCitzTv

62DONATIONS

Please pull out, fill in and post this form.Cardboard Citizens 26 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QRUnited Kingdom

I would like to make a donation of

£

One-off Monthly Quarterly Bi-Annually(please tick as appropriate)

Title

Full Name

Address

Postcode

Telephone

Email

Occupation

Date of Birth

You can donate by cheque, credit or debit card or online at: mydonate.bt.com/charities/cardboardcitizens-1

I enclose a cheque payable to Cardboard Citizens or please debit my CAF Charity Card / Visa / Mastercard(delete as appropriate).

Cardholder Name

Card No.

Start date Expiry date

Maestro/Switch issue No.

Security number

Signature

Date

Reg Charity No: 1042457

Gift Aid declaration I am a UK taxpayer and want all donations I’ve made to Cardboard Citizens in the past four years and all donations in future to be treated as Gift Aid donations until I notify you otherwise.