When I was young I was a shy and awkward schoolchild, it wasn’t until doing drama classes after school that I started to come out of my shell. Though my acting ability was at best decidedly amateur, I gained a whole lot of confidence through doing it.

Vita Nova are an organisation based in Bournemouth that offer a similar opportunity for recovering alcoholics and addicts to gain confidence to explore their creative side through writing stories, poetry, scripts and also performance.

Ignatius Harling, Coordinator at Vita Nova explains: “We started out in 1999 touring the schools of the South Coast with an educational play called ‘Scratchin’ the Surface’. It was jointly devised by Vita Nova and Sharon Muiruri from Bournemouth Theatre in Education. It was performed by service users and was based on their experience of using drugs and the nature of addiction.” The play was extremely successful and has since been seen by around 70,000 people in secondary schools, youth clubs, young offenders units and universities.

Ignatius added: “We have since written plays and done workshops on topics such as gang violence and bullying. We hold question and answer sessions with the children, where they can ask whatever they like anonymously without any fear. We are also training groups of young people to deliver information sessions within their schools, giving an overview of different drugs, substance abuse and dependency.”

Jane, a recovering drug addict, has been a member of Vita Nova for four years. She told me how the act of writing and performing had given her real self-belief: “Right from the start I was given lots of support and encouragement to discover my artistic side. I was able to write in an autobiographical way, exorcising my past, this helped me to heal and come to terms with certain issues in my life.” She added: “It is also great to be involved in carrying such a positive and important message to the community at large.”

If you wish to find out more or support Vita Nova they are holding a Fun Day on Saturday 16 July in Kings Park, Boscombe, in Bournemouth. Starting at 11am, they will be performing some of their pieces and there will also be a five-a-side football tournament, live music, stalls, face painting and refreshments.

For more information about Vita Nova or this event, please contact Ignatius Harling: 01202 309999 or email ignatiusharling@vitanova or alternatively visit www.vitanova.co.uk.