BEING homeless is no laughing matter but a unique workshop taking place in Dublin 7 is using comedy to help to boost the confidence and esteem of those struggling to put a roof over their heads.
The workshop in Focus Ireland’s Training Centre off Halston Street is being facilitated by comedian John Colleary, star and co-writer of IFTA nominated sketch show, ‘The Savage Eye’.
Organised by The Bohemian Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Bohemian FC, the workshops are part of the organisation’s remit of improving the health and well-being of the club’s Northside community.
Learning how to write and perform comedy mightn’t be a remedy for people caught up in Dublin’s worst homeless crisis ever, but the workshop participants say laughter is definitely a good medicine.
“It takes your mind off things when you’re writing down jokes and we have a lot of craic,” says Kelly Kinsella, a natural performer who’s a fan of Brendan O’Carroll.
“You meet new people and it’s kind of relaxing. It’s very interesting and there’s a lot of socialising. Well, obviously there’s a social part to it because if we didn’t get on, there wouldn’t be any workshop then, would there?”
Jonathan Breen, who was born in Finglas but grew up in Coolock, says the workshops have given him confidence in areas like public speaking and he believes they provide a sense of normalisation.
“There’s humour in adversity and I think the thing is to try and find that,” he tells Northside People.
“It gives people like me who left school early a chance to open up other sides of themselves, and that in itself can give you a way of diffusing problems, diffusing anxiety or diffusing things that you might be hung up about.
“You can put things in perspective then by making it funny. You can see things in another way.”
The aim of the workshops is to encourage participants to write and develop their own act, and ideally perform it on stage in front of an audience alongside professional comedians like Colleary.
However, Mexican Anna Martinez says that while getting laughs in front of a crowd would be great, taking part in the workshops is success in itself.
“I think the process is the most important, not the end result to be on stage,” she says.
“Sometimes you lose yourself and being part of the group here is a way to reconnect with your own spirit.”
Facilitating comedy workshops for people in challenging circumstances is nothing new for John Colleary. He’s already done it in Mountjoy Prison, where inmates got to perform a comedy show with a star-studded line-up that included Joe Rooney from Fr Ted and Ballymun funnyman, Willa White.
Colleary credits Bohemian Foundation President, Thomas Hynes, for the idea and energy behind the somewhat unusual but ultimately rewarding workshops.
“He’s a born and bred Northsider so he has a vested interest sentimentally in the area,” the Sligo comedian says. “I think his view is that the football club is part of the community. It’s a fan-based, fan-owned club so the supporters are from the area, and whatever goes on in their area is important to them and then, by extension, it’s important to the club.”
Colleary believes the purpose of the workshops is not just about honing raw talent, it’s also about lifting people’s confidence and esteem.
“People who have slightly more difficult circumstances than the norm often have a better ability to channel that creatively,” he says.
“They have less inhibition. That makes it easy for me, because they have ready-made stuff that you can shape into five or seven minutes of comedy that they can perform.”
Focus Ireland’s Niamh Lambe admits the workshops aren’t something the homeless charity normally does but describes them as “a fantastic outlet” for its clients.
“The feedback has been great and we’re looking at maybe running it again,” she says.
“We do run various course on soft skills like arts and crafts but we also have other initiatives designed to benefit clients in the long run.”
The courses are part of PETE (Preparation for Education, Training and Employment), where homeless clients can learn skills to help lift them out of homelessness or cope with re-adjusting when they find accommodation.
The charity is also launching Employment Focus, which is basically a recruitment agency for the homeless who often find it impossible to get a job without a regular address.
“We help clients to draw up CVs and access training courses and we make contact with businesses willing to give people a chance and link them up,” explains Niamh.
