We’re pleased to announce that Arts and Homelessness International (AHI) in collaboration with One Roof ODAC will be starting regular scratch nights to be held at Old Diorama Arts Centre (ODAC). The first event will take place on Friday 12th September 2025.
A scratch night is an event where artists/creatives with lived experience of homelessness can show work that is still in progress. This might be a song, a poem, a fragment of a play, or a visual artwork that isn’t yet finished. It’s a space to try things out, to explore, and to begin conversations around work that’s still forming.
These scratch nights are open to artists/creatived with lived experience as well as AHI & One Roof ODAC communities with lived experience of homelessness, creating a safe and supportive environment for artists/creatives at different stages of their careers to share and discuss their work. Discussion will play a huge part in these events.
We are especially keen for creatives and artists with lived experience of homelessness to attend; whether as performers or audience members as your voices and perspectives are at the heart of this programme.
All conversations will be guided by the Critical Response Process developed by artist Liz Lerman. This is a kind and supportive structure for group discussion, enabling valuable feedback from the audience without overwhelming artists with harsh criticism or unhelpful praise. It’s about going deeper, helping artists learn more about their own work and the processes of others.
Each night will feature three or four artists. The work could take many forms—performance, visual sketches, ideas, a few lines of a poem or song lyrics. After each presentation, there’ll be a structured discussion, and then we’ll move on to the next artist.
The atmosphere will be relaxed and informal, with plenty of opportunities to socialise and enjoy refreshments.We hope this scratch nights will become a regular feature of our community calendar—an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and support each other, artistically and socially.
The Questors Theatre
Polka Theatre
Criterion Theatre Trust
National Youth Monologues
A workshop for the politically engaged and perpetually exhausted. In the face of arts cuts, climate collapse, and rising authoritarianism, what does it mean to keep making political theatre?
Is it still a tool for change or just shouting into the void? This session creates space to reflect, rant, and reimagine: to swap strategies, share frustrations, and ask what resistance looks like onstage today.
All ticket sales will be donated to WarChild. The workshop will take place on June 22nd at Riverside Studios, 1:30pm - 3:30pm.
About Sam Rees:
Sam Rees is a critically acclaimed theatre-maker whose work has been staged at leading UK venues, including Summerhall, Oxford Playhouse, Soho, Norwich Theatre, and Jermyn Street. His recent projects include Edinburgh Fringe 2024 sell-out show Lessons On Revolution, praised as ‘compelling and galvanising’ (James Graham), ‘one of my favourites of this year’s fringe’ (Natasha Tripney),‘a heartfelt paean to the politics of hope ★★★★★’ (The Scotsman), ‘the best thing we’ve seen this year ★★★★★’ (The Morning Star), ‘intelligent, questioning documentary theatre ★★★★’ (The Stage), and ‘one of the most talked about shows from this year’s festival’ (The Conversation), and The Food Bank Show, called ‘utterly magnetic ★★★★’ by Broadway Baby, a show which ‘creates space for radical conversation to happen ★★★★’ by A Young(ish) Perspective), and ‘an exemplary production that defies the rules of the genre’ by Theatre Weekly.
