L’Arche Workshops
L’Arche is a residential community for adults with Learning Difficulties and Special Needs. Founded in 1964, it now has 150 communities worldwide.
“For some years I have been taking a weekly drama workshop at L’Arche. It is immensely rewarding, gets me away from my desk and keeps me in touch with the real world.
And every week I ask myself the same question: who is really the one with ‘special needs’ here?’
They are my teachers and mentors.” - RE
Intro by the team:
“Everywhere you go there are ‘important’ people – in magazines, on TV, and even at airports and football grounds they have reserved places for VIP’s (Very Important People). But how do you get to be an ‘important’ person? What makes someone ‘important’? This short film came from a drama workshop we did about it, and then we went and made a short film – as you do! We hope you enjoy it.”
- L’Arche Dance and Drama Group
Intro by the team:
“This was from another workshop we did making pictures out of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel. Actually it was good fun making a film and it’s part of a bigger project on peace and love featuring people with learning disabilities living in the community. I hope that you will enjoy the brilliant performances, radiating hope, love and friendship.”
- L’Arche Dance and Drama Group
Talks
Richard is also a popular speaker at conferences and events. In particular, in his talk entitled “A Writer’s Journey - or How to Avoid Sanity!” he performs extracts from his award-winning book “Sound Bites”, talks about his life as an actor and playwright and the many fascinating people he has worked with, and explores the relationship between his faith his work and the creative process
His most recent engagements have been as Visiting Wayfarer Fellow to St John’s College, Durham, St Anselm’s Community at Lambeth Palace, Lee Abbey in Devon, The Makers Series, Richmond Virginia, and OCCA (The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics).