Trading Places

Organisation: Tyneside Cyrenians/Helix Arts
Funding: £68,008

This project expands on a volunteer project already running in the North East, with Tyneside Cyrenians. The current project sees service users trade places with paid staff and, with their support, undertake all aspects of running the drop-in centre, which provides practical support and advice to homeless people.

The NESTA funding will be used to create a tailored programme to help tackle problems associated with mental ill-health and homelessness by engaging patients in arts-based activities, which will enable them to explore issues of identity, status and self-esteem. The project is a collaboration with major arts and social inclusion agency, Helix Arts.

Involvement in the programme will also ensure there is a regular point of engagement between those attending the centre and health and social care staff, empowering those using the service to ask for additional support that they might need.