Next week we begin workshops for the theatre performance, The Magical Glow of the Co Op at Birmingham Rep. Over thirty people who attend hospices in Lichfield and in Birmingham have helped write a script based on their experiences that will be performed 4 and 5 June.

We are working with four actors from Birmingham Repertory Theatre to develop and perform the script. Six participants from the hospice are going to join the actors perform their story on stage.

Working with people living with a life-threatening illness means treading a fine line between developing an entertainment, and working with theatre as a therapeutic intervention. We are also trying to ensure that everyone who gets involved feels that the experience is enriching and enhances their quality of life.

The Magical Glow of the Co Op is a good example of our new social arts practice: collaborations between professional artists and people in hospices enabling people to share stories of their life with the support of professional artists. We hope that this approach broadens the cultural canon, enabling the stories of many whose lives are often undocumented to reach a wide audience.