The Context
We are OI Ltd is a streetwear retailer which empowers society to rewrite homelessness through interacting, connecting and spreading hope.
Three’s Theatre Company is a young dynamic company which creates ‘choice theatre’ putting the audience at the heart of everything they do. Many of their performances have been site specific and many have been in places where theatre is unexpected and new. Each show is based on the true stories of the people represented, and each show is researched, developed and performed by young, local and often new talent.
OI started in 2016 as a passion project, and has spiralled into a global movement and company that is rewriting the story of homelessness. As the ‘Wear One - Share One Company’ their purchase method encourages people to interact with those who live on the streets; OI is trying to encourage a societal change of preconceptions and reduce the stigma of being homeless. In 2019, the company were searching for creative ways to amplify their messages to audiences...
The Solution
Supported by Arts & Business NI’s Investment Programme funding, OI partnered with Three’s Theatre in 2019 to develop 10 | 10 | OI, a promenade audio theatre production highlighting the homeless crisis. The performance launched on World Homeless Awareness Day to raise maximum awareness of the homeless crisis in NI; in 2018 nearly 150 people living on the streets of Northern Ireland died in an 11 month period.
Three’s Theatre Company took OI’s ethos of rewriting homelessness and told multiple real-life stories of people who are living on the streets. Working in partnership with Outside In and the Simon Community, Three’s Theatre engaged with 5 people who have experienced homelessness to gather their real stories and bring them to life in two simultaneous audio experiences of the city of Belfast. The performance sought to reinforce the belief that there are many ways a person can become homeless, in turn reducing associated stigma.
The promenade experiences involved the audience listening to the stories, as they followed a guide on a predetermined walking route around the city of Belfast. The audio was precisely timed so that audiences were actually walking alongside a building, street or alley when it was referenced in the script. OI developed the app, which Three’s Theatre used as a platform to actually deliver the audio theatre performance. The poignant production encouraged the audience to look at the city with a new perspective and to become more empathetic individuals.
Partnering with Three’s Theatre enabled Outside In to raise awareness of the homeless crisis we are currently experiencing, one of their main aims. They used the medium of theatre for social change which corresponds with their mission to rewrite homelessness. The project also offered OI the opportunity to engage members of their team with both the artistic process of the production and in the development of the app.
“Outside In are strong believers in social media and its impact, but also that change happens one conversation at a time. What better way to start a conversation about homelessness than to experience a theatre piece that connects a person to a story? We are grateful to have worked with Three’s Theatre Company, they are a brilliant arts organisation match for us. They created a piece of experimental theatre that highlighted and explored the issues of homelessness in Belfast and brought the stories we are trying to share to life in an audio experience to create more empathy and awareness. With thanks to Arts & Business NI, our two young companies were able to collaborate on a mutually beneficial project that can push for social change.”
Ross Moffet, Outside In
“This production was a beautiful experiment to see if the city could be used as a stage; Outside In were the perfect partners for this experimental collaboration. This project and the opportunities it created for local artists would not have been possible without the support of Arts and Business NI. The advice and expertise they offer are invaluable to us as a young company looking for creative investment avenues in this arts funding crisis.”
Anna Leckey, Three’s Theatre Company
