‘Celebration of recovery’ takes to the  Civic stage
Some of the ‘A Celebration of Recovery’ cast in rehearsals

‘Celebration of recovery’ takes to the Civic stage

THE transformative effect of the arts on people who are recovering from addiction will take centre stage at what promises to be a moving performance in the Civic Theatre later this month.

On Monday, September 12, a cast of 25 clients from the Tallaght Rehabilitation Centre (TRP) will tread the boards for their show titled ‘A Celebration of Recovery’.

The show will feature a varied range of performances aimed at challenging the stigma around addiction, through the use of poetry, music, comedy and drama.

Pat Daly, manager of TRP, told The Echo: “The positive impact of being involved in the Civic Theatre event is not only felt by the clients but has a huge impact on their families and friends, plus the overall community.

“Being involved in such a huge event reinforces the client’s recovery process and greatly enhances their own confidence and self-esteem.

“Just to note, when clients attend our programme at first, they have little or no self-esteem or confidence.

“There may also be problems in the family home because of addiction issues.

“The staff team at TRP really feels that the overall event doesn’t only promote recovery and challenge stigma, but it goes a long way to bridging conflicts between clients and their family and/or friends.”

The show was a sell-out the last time it was staged in 2019, and this year’s participants are eager to get on stage as a key part of building their confidence and working towards recovery.

One participant, called JR, said: “I’m excited to be a part of the show in the Civic Theatre this year. It’s a big milestone in my recovery journey.

“The show itself is going to be amazing. Everybody has put so much work in. I can’t wait for it.”

This sentiment was echoed by one of their cast mates, called PM, who enthused: “When agreeing to do this play, I was full of fear that I would not be able to do it.

“But with the support of TRP and Tomo, the drama tutor, I found myself growing in self-belief and confidence, and it’s true – push yourself and anything is possible.

“That’s what I believe today, anything is possible with self-belief.”

Mr Daly said that weaving the arts into the recovery process for people who have addiction issues has proven fruitful, and is now an essential part of the treatment programme in TRP.

“TRP will always encourage our clients to get involved in any activities that we deem may be positive and healthy for the recovery of the people who attend our services,” he explained.

“These activities would include sports clubs, gyms, volunteerism, training, and education and obviously drama and art, which have become a huge part of our programme in TRP, to the point where the management of TRP have introduced a drama module for the clients into our yearly schedule.

“The response from our clients to art and drama has been phenomenal. On evaluation of these sessions, participants have claimed that the module has been a tool for them to express themselves in ways that they could not verbalise.”

This freedom of expression will be a cornerstone of the performers’ show later this month.

Tickets for ‘A Celebration of Recovery’, taking place in the Civic Theatre at 7.30pm on Tuesday, September 12, are €10 each and are available for purchase at CIVIC.

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