The Shout Out Loud project has worked with five Adult opportunity centres across Gloucestershire with three drama practitioners, each of the groups have followed a similar format and used drama to promote advocacy , Short drama pieces developed around the advocacy/self advocacy theme have encouraged:

everyone to speak up or act up

listening to others & interpreting what they were trying to communicate

an awareness of the need to make eye-contact and gain attention before attempting to communicate

taking turns

co-operating and valuing the different contributions each was able to make

exploring difficult issues through role play

evaluation of what was going on and how they felt about it.

learning about rights as well as responsibilities

All participants have shown marked improvement in these skills in the drama sessions.People with learning disabilities and those that do not use words do not always have the chance to make the same choices as other people.

Advocacy is about giving people the ability to be able to speak out, change their minds, choose big things, like where they would like to live, as well as smaller things, like what to have for breakfast.

Also staff selection, bullying, local and national issues (e.g. Direct payments); accessible transport; undertaking service evaluations; participating in service planning.
The final drama pieces will then be performed for their peers and care staff.