A group of people battling drug and alcohol addiction will perform in Renfrewshire next month as they celebrate a major achievement in their recovery journey.
The participants, who all attend Creative Change Collective's Recovering Voices programme, will host a special event at Erskine Arts on Thursday, June 1.
They have been taking part in the charity's 12 weekly sessions in the town, which is designed to support people in their recovery and will culminate in the on-stage performance.
Participants will perform a mix of recovery-themed monologues, sketches and spoken word that draw on their lived experience, addressing issues around the stigma of addiction and how their illness has impacted their loved ones.
It will be followed by a discussion and question-and-answer session with friends, family, and the local community.
Participants in Erskine are from the local community and Abbeycare residential treatment facility.
Recovering Voices was devised by Creative Change Collective project director Mark MacNicol, a writer and director who lost his brother Jason, 30, to a heroin overdose.
The programme is funded by the Scottish Government through the Corra Foundation and is also available in Glasgow, Saltcoats and Dumbarton.
The Erskine group's performance will be an opportunity for participants to celebrate their individual and group achievements with family and friends.
Creative Change Collective uses creative techniques like 'drama therapy' for people who usually have no interest in drama or therapy.
The sessions are delivered within a unique 'anonymous drama' model where participants use first names only and all the work is done in character, so no one knows the difference between what is lived experience and fiction.
Mark said: "We were delighted to bring our Recovering Voices programme to Erskine this year following the programme's success in Glasgow.
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"The sessions are designed to support people in their recovery through drama therapy type activities.
"They use our unique anonymous drama model which we have found allows people to express themselves fully and can be less emotionally triggering.
"We would love it if members of the local community were to join us at the event on June 1, which will be a real celebration of all of our participants’ achievements.
"I have been working with Creative Change Collective for six years and have seen the incredible results. Impacting offending rates and supporting people in their recovery. Those are our two priorities."
The event is free to attend and tickets can be booked at bit.ly/44JstzE.
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