The British Stammering Association Scotland (BSA Scotland) and TAG Theatre Company, Glasgow, have just been awarded ?19,000 by the Scottish Arts Council to run confidence boosting, limitation-busting drama workshops. The collaboration, entitled ‘Outspoken', will offer free weekly evening drama workshops, with some funding for travel. The organisers are now looking for young adults who stammer (age 16-30), from all backgrounds who are willing to travel to sessions in central Glasgow. The workshops will run from late February to June 2008 in the Citizens' Theatre.

Anyone interested in finding out more should contact Jan Anderson/Cian Bell, details at end of release.

Kelly Brown (25), Scotland rugby internationalist, currently playing in the Six Nations Championship, has stammered since childhood and endorses the project:

"I think the workshops are a fantastic idea to help young people who stammer. I had several parts in school shows and found it a great help in teaching me how to cope with public speaking. The workshops provide an opportunity for people who stammer to express themselves and have some fun without fear of ridicule. They will help develop confidence, which I believe plays a huge role in overcoming stammering."

Commenting on the project, Jan Anderson of BSA Scotland, says:

"The project will offer a relaxed space for young people who stammer to gain confidence and explore self-expression through games, discussion and improvisation. The spirit of the workshops is very much about spontaneity, creativity, having fun and letting go. In a second phase, after the summer, a professional writer will work with participants to explore and develop an innovative piece of theatre that will challenge the stigma attached to stammering. This will then be performed by actors at the Citizen's Theatre before touring selected secondary schools in Scotland. Participants can get involved in the later stages of the project to the extent they feel inspired to do so. It's an incredible opportunity."

Guy Hollands, joint Artistic Director of the Citizens' Theatre and TAG, says:

"TAG has a long and distinguished history of developing pioneering projects which seek to broaden the use of drama as a powerful tool to enable people of all backgrounds to express themselves. This project seeks to provide a fun and supportive environment in which people who stammer can explore a wide range of ways of communicating. It is an initiative that is long overdue and rare in the UK. We are delighted to be embarking on this partnership with BSA Scotland." -- www.citz.co.uk