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Cardboard Citizens is the UK's only homeless people's professional theatre company and the leading practitioner of Forum Theatre in the UK. We work with people who have experience of, or who are at risk of, becoming homeless. Cardboard Citizens marries the creation of high quality, innovative and interactive theatre with social objectives.

We use Forum Theatre and performing arts to give homeless people a voice - enabling them to reach and recognise their potential. Our work personally inspires and motivates the homeless people we work with; it builds skills and confidence, and supports individuals to raise and face the issues necessary for them to make positive changes in their lives.

What We Do

This year, Cardboard Citizens programme of work includes:

* Professional Theatre productions, employing Cardboard Citizens' homeless actors / actresses in high-quality theatre

* Hostel Tour production touring to 60 hostels and day centres throughout London, using Forum Theatre to engage homeless Londoners

* Forum for Change projects by, with and for a particular 'community' that addresses issues that its members face

* The UK's largest Performing Arts Workshops Programme in the UK for people who have experience of homelessness

* Unique Company Membership Scheme to provide members with high-quality learning and employment support, and meaningful opportunities for progression and artistic expression

* Professional Theatre of the Oppressed Training for theatre practitioners

How we do it:

By creating individual development plans for our participants offering realistic, flexible pathways and possible routes through the company onto the next step of progression.

By focusing on participants potential, not problems

By acting as an ambassador for the arts in the social sector.

By providing an exemplar of best practice for arts organisations wishing to work with socially excluded groups.

By bringing together audiences both with and without experience of homelessness to challenge perceptions and promote positive changes.

By developing homeless people as professional artists and professional artists as people through the range of experiences it offers.

Our work benefits over 3,000 people a year, all who have experienced homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless.

During each year we enable over 200 homeless people to bridge the gap between them and formal education, training and support services.

Each year we provide over 400 weeks of paid employment to homeless actors and actresses.

We run performing arts workshops all year round, with and for homeless people.

Each week over 250 homeless people access our workshops in theatre skills, contemporary dance, contemporary music, singing and writing for performance.