Ellis Jones supports charitable arts organisation, Vita Nova

Vita Nova is a charitable arts organisation supporting people with drug and alcohol recovery issues. Based in the heart of the Boscombe community it has its own theatre space. Alongside its flagship community theatre group, Vita Nova, also offers workshops in creative writing, drama, music and textiles. Through both lockdowns Vita Nova were held together with online workshops.

Vita Nova’s community theatre work delivers preventative education in schools and colleges. They also take performance into treatment centres and give hope to those who watch. Their dramatic presentations primarily written by the charity’s artistic director, Sharon (Muiruri) Coyne are effective and well received. The acclaimed ‘The Nest’ is now performed throughout the country.

With its concern about mental health issues, Ellis Jones is pleased to be able to make a donation to this charity to further its work. It will include the provision of:

• Comfortable, collapsible chairs for the studio/theatre to give a more theatrical ambience
• A sewing machine and iron for the growing textile groups
• The funding to enable the creative writing group to publish a poetry book of its own compositions and to engage Paul Hawkins, poet and visual artist, to mentor them.

Vita Nova is a small local charity with limited funds. This donation enables the charity to facilitate a specific wish list for the benefit of its clients which it may not otherwise have been able to afford.

The charity always welcomes volunteers to assist in its work and anyone looking to know more about Vita Nova will soon be able to view its website (currently under construction). Alternatively, once the Covid rules have been relaxed to enable performances to be given, one can come and enjoy a Vita Nova ‘Scratch night’, at which musical numbers, urban poetry recitals and drama are well performed.