Massive thanks to BBC Children in Need for funding a new and very exciting role in UCAN Productions.

My name is Hannah Matthews, and I am UCAN’s new Peer to Peer Support Officer. I firstly want to thank UCAN for this amazing opportunity.  As a member who has grown with UCAN it is a pleasure to now work for them. I am hoping that I will be able to help inspire and support our young members, both existing and new, to get involved and become part of this amazing organisation. We provide a place where young people with sight loss and their friends can build new friendships, develop new skills through fun and interactive workshops, and just have fun and be creative along the way.

I look forward to working with the families and young people who would like to be involved and being a point of contact for any queries that arise. I am also going to be working with a range of professionals to allow more families and young people to benefit from the opportunities that UCAN has to offer.

Hope to hear from you all soon. 

UCAN Productions is holding a series of free October half term zoom workshops !

UCAN is a performance arts organisation for visually impaired young people and their friends. No experience needed. Join in or just come along to say hello, have fun and make new friends. We promise to make you very welcome.   

If you would like to join UCAN just click HERE 

What does it involve?

We are hosting a range of fun online activities, Quizzes, Theme Parties, Tactile Art, Sound Stories, Music, Singing, Movement and Drama Workshops after school, at weekends and during school holidays. 

You are very welcome to join in as much or as little as you like! We know that COVID 19 and all the lockdowns can make the world feel a little strange, so why not use this time to learn new skills, have lots of fun and meet new people.

What to find out more?  Click HERE  for a video made by Jake explaining what UCAN ZoomIn is all about 

OCTOBER HALF TERM FESTIVAL: MONDAY 26TH TO SATURDAY 31ST 

Date: MONDAY 26th October 2020

Time: 2pm to 3.15pm

EVERYONE WELCOME! 

UCAN Half Term Festival is opening with a fun filled get together that will give everyone a chance to find out what is on offer for the half term week.  Get to know our brilliant workshop leaders, try out our fun activities, meet up with old friends and make lots of new ones. Family, Friends and Siblings welcome.

——————————

MAKE SOME NOISE! with Alys and Alex

Date:  TUESDAY 27th October 2020

Time:   2pm to 3pm

EVERYONE WELCOME

Warm up your voices, get out your drums, tune up your instruments and let’s make some noise and join together to make some marvellous virtual music.  No experience needed.

——————————-

SCAVENGER HUNTS with Jake and Taylor 

Date: TUESDAY 27th October 2020

Time:  4pm to 5pm

EVERYONE WELCOME

Full of fun, this is a scavenger hunt with a twist! By using everyday items found around the house Jake and Taylor will engage the participants with great activities and fun creative exercises. These scavenger hunts are a regular activity in our weekly group and there is always lots of laughs and fun to be had by all.  You can join in as much or as little as you like.

———————————-

GAME SHOW DAY

Date: WEDNESDAY 28th October 2020

Time: 4pm to 5pm

EVERYONE WELCOME

Welcome to the game show hour with Jake and Taylor (UCAN’s very own Ant and Dec). We will be playing some fun game show favourites including The Chase, Family Fortunes, Get Your Cards Right and many more. We don’t take things too seriously and our main aim is to have fun and make friends. Everything will be accessible, and all rules will be explained as we go!

——————————-

UCAN CREATE SOUND STORIES

Date: WEDNESDAY 28th October 2020

Time: 5.30pm to 6.30pm

EVERYONE WELCOME

Designed to be amazing audio fun, this workshop is all about games, stories and improvisation. A fun packed workshop where you, your stories and ideas are the inspiration to create silly stories, funky fables and tall tales with our one and only Alys.  Big up your tall tale and bring it to life with sound and special effects supplied by our very own master of sound Alex. 

——————————————

UCAN MOVE with Alys and Alex

Date: THURSDAY 29th October 2020

Time: 1pm until 2.00pm

EVERYONE WELCOME

A Fun Movement workshop. Practice all your moves and get some new ones. Help create beats and get moving to some fantastic music and in the safety of your own home.

————————————————-

TALENT SHOW with Jake and Taylor

Date: Friday 30th October 2020

Time: 4pm to 5pm

EVERYONE WELCOME

Who doesn’t love a good talent show? Hosted by Jake and Taylor, this is your opportunity to showcase your talents from the comfort of your own home. Can you Sing? Dance? Or have you got a funny joke? No talent is too small! Come and perform for a supportive audience of other talent show contestants or just come along and enjoy the performances.

—————————————————

UCAN CREATE SOUND STORIES

Date: Friday 30th October 2020

Time: 5.30pm to 6.30pm

EVERYONE WELCOME

Designed to be amazing audio fun, this workshop is all about games, stories and improvisation. A fun packed workshop where you, your stories and ideas are the inspiration to create silly stories, funky fables and tall tales with our one and only Alys.  Big up your tall tale and bring it to life with sound effects and special effects supplied by our very own master of sound Alex. 

—————————————————

Date: SATURDAY 31st October 2020

Time; 2pm to 3pm 

MAGGIE’S CLUB (Age 18 and under)

Founded in honour of UCAN Board Member, Dr Margaret Woodhouse OBE, known to everyone as Maggie. This is a weekly fun, interactive workshop for visually impaired children and young people with additional needs held every Saturday. These workshops are led by Jake and Alex and involve fun games, stories, sounds, music and tactile art. Maggie’s club is very popular and a real favourite!

—————————————————-

HALLOWEEN PARTY

Date: SATURDAY 31st October 2020

Time: 6pm to 7 pm +

EVERYONE WELCOME – Bring your friends and family.

Get that pointy hat on and dig out your broom stick.  Come and join everyone at UCAN at our fun packed Halloween Party. Lots of games, quizzes and lots of spooky silliness.  Lots of tricks but even more treats! 

—————————————————-

How to Join!

If you, or someone you know, would like to join some free and fun workshops, please complete this online registration form

HERE 

Once completed, you will then be contacted by a member of the team, who can talk you through how to get on Zoom either by audio using a mobile, or landline, or by using a tablet, or computer.  

Alternatively call or text Jane on 07812 051815 or email info@ucanproductions.org for more info: www.ucanproductions.org

This project is funded by BBC Children in Need

UCAN PICNIC IN THE PARK

As specialist drama company for visually impaired, children,
young people and their friends, UCAN has been running workshops for children
and young people with special needs up to the age of 18 for the last 8
years. Many of the children who attend Maggie’s club are patients of Dr
Maggie Woodhouse OBE, School of Optometry, Cardiff University,
hence the choice of name. UCAN Productions work with visually
impaired children and young people all over Wales helping them gain
physical and vocal confidence, mix with other young people and make
new friends – mainly it’s all about having FUN!

After 6 months of running interactive workshops on Zoom, we
successfully and safely held a Picnic in the Park for their Maggie’s Club
participant and their families. A small gathering of under 30 people met
in Pontcanna Fields on Saturday 22 August and braved the wind and the
rain and were entertained by UCAN trainers Jake, Taylor and Paddy.
They provided us with fun games and activities which families could do
in their family bubbles, followed by a very funny and entertaining show
put on by Paddy the Clown. It was a great afternoon full of laughter and
it was so nice to see people in person and not via the computer. UCAN
also celebrated their 15 th Birthday earlier this week.

Our thanks go to our funders, Children in Need and to Cardiff Council for
allowing us to use a small part of Pontcanna Fields. We hope to hold
another very one soon.

IT'S OUR BIRTHDAY!

We are now 15! On 16th of August 2005 , with the help of Wales Cooperative Centre, UCAN became the very 1st Performance Arts Cooperative for VI children and young people in the UK. BIG SHOUT OUT to our wonderful UCAN Team, most of whom have been with us from the start .

Join us for our 3rd episode of the Podsquad as we hear about where it all started, as well about the effect it's had on some of our members.

We hope you enjoy it!

You can also listen to other Podsquad Episodes by finding us on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ucanproductions.org/

Twitter: twitter.com/UCANProduction

Podbean: ucanpodsquad.podbean.com/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC1eFTnj9-JVB7dVYGI-f8Lw/videos

Spotify and Apple Podcasts: just search for UCAN PodSquad

Get in touch - podsquad@ucanproductions.org - we'd love to hear from you, and maybe if you're interested, you could be part of the Podsquad too...

UCAN ZoomIn - Summer Fun!

UCAN Productions FREE Creative Fun Online Activities for Vision Impaired Children, Young People and their Friends 

The UCAN team making plans for the summer on Zoom

WHAT’S ON OFFER?

UCAN ZoomIn with Jake (Age 13 and under)

Have fun with the legend that is Jake, registered blind,  Jake is a professional Actor, Filmmaker and Comedian.  Always very popular, these twice weekly workshops are great fun, activities include games, treasure hunts, drama games and lots of laughing.  This is a link to Jake explaining what UCAN is HERE

UCAN ZoomIn with Alys (Age 13 -17 years)

Have fun and learn new skills through drama.  A popular well established group with lots of creative and storytelling activities.  ZoomIn is all about  making lots of new friends and having tons of fun.  No experience needed.

SASSI - Self Advocacy for the Severely Sight Impaired (Age 18+)

A confidence building course for blind and partially sighted young adults. Led by Alys and guided by UCAN Productions award winning approach, develops young people’s empowerment and confidence through the creative process and is designed to increase personal confidence and self-awareness. 

Maggie’s ZoomIn Club (Age 18 and under)  

Founded in honour of UCAN Board Member - Dr Margaret Woodhouse OBE, known to everyone as Maggie.  Weekly Saturday fun, interactive workshops for visually impaired children and young people with additional needs.  Workshops led by Jake and Alex, fun games, stories, sounds, music and tactile art.  Maggie’s club is very popular therefore spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

UCAN PodSquad (All ages)   

UCAN members and friends are launching a brand new podcast pilot project, in response to lockdown, called the UCAN PodSquad! 

We want to reach out to visually impaired young people across Wales - and beyond - growing an interactive listening community to build connections in these isolating times. 

But we need your feedback and ideas too, and would love to hear from you!  Maybe you can join an online planning meeting… Please get in touch:

Email  podsquad@ucanproductions.org 

Or listen to the Pod Squad audio flyer here https://youtu.be/Zp9a_PXK29g

HOW DO I JOIN IN?

If you, or someone you know, would like to join some free and fun workshops, please complete this online registration form https://forms.gle/YpAsRY4B8wF7fKHG7    

Once completed, you will then be contacted by a member of the team, who can talk you through how to get on zoom either by audio using a mobile or landline or by using a tablet or computer.  

Alternatively call or text 07812 051815 or email info@ucanproductions.org  for more information 

www.ucanproductions.org