This new exciting adventure sees Full Circle Theatre makers working on a number of project activities to work out just who decides whose stories are good enough to be autobiographies and ensuring that both they and our local learning disability community get to tell their stories to have a right to a voice, and also to dispel lazy misconceptions about learning disabled people who far too often find themselves disregarded and disrespected in our cultural lives. And they've been really clear - they don't want anyone to feel sorry for them, ('no pity parties' is what was actually said) and they are tired of seeing learning disabled people being 'treated like kids' which charity models so often reflect. 

So as always, they are not just talking about it, but doing something about it. After the huge success of the community which grew around the Our Stomping Grounds Festival lots more fantastic stuff is on offer:

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Community Workshops
​Our community workshops are exploring telling our stories in a number of different ways which artistically meet participants access and communication requirements.​

Puppetry and Puppet Making With Kim McDermottroe

13 and 20 July, 1.00-3.00pm - SORRY NOW FULLY BOOKED

We are delighted that Kim McDermottroe (set and costume designer for our Stomping Ground show) is bringing some of her puppets in for us to look at and try out, and she’s even going to get us making our own puppets. There are two workshops for this on both 13 and 20 July  with the same people attending both as the second is a follow on from the first one. 

​Let's create some cracking characters, get to know them and even create some mischief around ARC.

An Introduction to​ Lyric Writing 

Wednesday 19 July 10.30am-12.30pm (Free) 
​DOWNLOAD BOOKING FORM HERE
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Ever wanted to tell a story in a song - or ever wanted to tell your story in a song? 

Work alongside Full Circle to try out some lyric writing and see what we can cook up from lyrical verses to bridge building to catchy choruses.

This workshop is aimed at anyone wanting try out lyric writing about their lives, or moments in their lives. Please note this isn’t the musical part of the process – we won’t be singing and putting the lyrics to music at this stage. It’s all about ideas and support is given with writing.
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We’ll look at songs which have done this successfully and also find out more about subject matter, rhythm and rhyming.

​All About Me Collage Workshop

Wednesday 26 July 1.15-2.45pm (Free)
​DOWNLOAD BOOKING FORM HERE

​Full Circle’s Autobiography project is asking ‘Who Are We?’ and this visual workshop invites participants to create a collage

All About Me Art and Craft Collage workshop which is great fun, while we try to think of ways to tell people who we are - things we like, things that matter, thi8ngs that make us laugh or that we think are amazing. Could be that we include dream holidays or amazing hobbies.

Microphone Technique - confidence for actors, DJs, comperes​

Thursdays 27 July and 3 August 10.30am-12.30pm (Free)
​​​DOWNLOAD​ BOOKING FORM HERE

This workshop is perfect for you if you've ever wanted to know more about how to use a microphone with confidence like a professional. 

Aimed at anyone wishing to improve their skills and boost their confidence of speaking into a microphone – DJs, hosts, comperes, spoken word artists, poetry, comedians, making speeches. You can come to one or both workshops.
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Develop your own style and avoid common mistakes.

Recording Your Story in Audio

Wednesday 16 August 10.30am-12.30pm (Free)
​DOWNLOAD​ BOOKING FORM HERE

All of our stories are important and we need to find different ways to tell them. Not everyone writes their stories down and so we’ll  help you create and record story about yourself in audio, like a short podcast or a mini radio story, using our special recording techniques.

We’ll have some fun, talk about moments in our lives, things that matter and some of our favourite things. And we plan to share a collection of the recorded stories through our online channels, with your permission of course. 

An Introduction to Acting and Performance Skills Course 
A Free Ten Week Course for Learning Disabled People - Places Are Limited So Apply Soon 

We are thrilled to be able to offer a ten week course in acting and performance for learning disabled people interested in exploring their skills and building their confidence. It's free of charge to attend and will be held at ARC Stockton on Wednesdays each week from Wednesday 13 September to Wednesday 22 November (not 1 November).

​More information and a booking form here. 

Easy Read here
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A Collection of Audio Stories 

Full Circle have been working on how to create audio stories - mini radio stories - of the lives of local learning disabled people. We're so excited to have started capturing stories. They are a mix of powerful, funny, and eye-opening and they represent a bit of a provocation to the rest of us not to make assumptions about learning disabled people and people who communicate in different ways. We will be sharing them online later in the year as a collection.

​You don't have to do the workshop on 16 August to take part but it might be helpful - see above. 

Get involved, get in touch with us here - [email protected]
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Learning Disability Cultural Equity Workshops

Full Circle are expanding their existing training and expertise to develop workshops specifically for professionals working in arts buildings, organisations and venues with a  particular focus on theatre. Group members are designing the workshop and will begin delivering in November 2023. 

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Behind the Curtain Cabaret

Full Circle are well on their way to creating a comedy scene for a new cabaret organised and hosted by local band, Jam Buddies.

Earlier in the year we hosted a mask theatre residency with Mee Mee Theatre who were with us for seven days. From that foundation we have built and built our ideas and this cabaret will be the first public sharing of some of this new work. It's great fun to make, as well as being very skilled.

The cabaret is on 20 October 2023 at ARC 

book the cabaret here