Barnardo's hope the classes will boost the confidence of those imprisoned at Polmont Young Offenders Institute
Inmates at a young offenders institute are to be offered the opportunity to attend comedy workshops organised by children’s charity Barnardo’s Scotland.
Professional comedian Gary Little, will draw on his own experiences in prison to show how life can be turned around, in six weekly workshops in Polmont Young Offenders Institute in a bid to boost their communication skills and confidence.
The Outside in Youth Work Service project has been awarded funding from Young Scot and Creative Scotland.
This is a great opportunity for young people in Polmont to gain confidence and learn valuable skills
They offer grants of up to £600 through the Nurturing Talent Fund which aims to support young people’s creative work regardless of geography, affordability and disability.
It is part of the Scottish Government’s Time to Shine youth arts strategy, which seeks to change the way the arts is viewed and help Scotland become an international leader in young people’s creativity.
Peter Miller, a youth worker with the Outside In project said: “It’s incredible to have this support from Young Scot and Creative Scotland – this is a great opportunity for young people in Polmont to gain confidence and learn valuable skills.
“We are lucky to work alongside comedian, Gary Little, who will draw on his experience in custody and demonstrate how he turned his experiences into comedy.”
The Nurturing Talent Fund is available for young people aged 14-20 years old.
Grants are available every two months and applicants can apply on the Young Scot website at young.scot.
Louise Macdonald, Young Scot’s chief executive, said: “Young people in all situations have aspirations to unleash their creativity and reach for the stars.
“The Nurturing Talent Fund helps young people get started or move to the next level regardless of their background, location or personal challenges and this experience will be of great benefit to the young people involved.”
