Activities and Opportunities from our Members

	Beautiful Octopus Club Night The next Beautiful Octopus Club will take place on Tuesday 20 March 2012 at Leeds University Union.  Please put the date in your diary - tickets are on sale now. Beautiful Octopus Club is a club night run by and for adults with learning disabilities.  The club will open at 7pm and close at 11pm. It is open to over 18s only.   The theme for the club will be Superheroes. What is Beautiful Octopus Club? Beautiful Octopus Club (BOC) is a large scale social event for adults (over 18s) with learning disabilities, their families, friends and carers. It is attended by over 500 people.  It has been running twice a year for the last 10 years. BOC aims to offer a rare opportunity for people with learning disabilities to socialise in a mainstream nightclub environment. BOC is managed by West Yorkshire Playhouse’s Arts Development team in partnership with Leeds University Union. There is an entrance fee of £6.50 (advance) or £7.50 (on the night) to enter the club. There are no concessions and everyone pays whether they have a learning disability or not. Clubbers can arrive at and leave the club when they wish. BOC's responsibilities We provide a safe, welcoming environment for clubbers. We ensure that suitable levels of staffing are employed in all areas including welcome team, box office, security, bar and catering, attendants, entertainment and activities. We carry out risk assessments prior to each club and deal with any health and safety issues as a result of these. We are an accessible venue for wheelchair users. Venue staff (bar, catering and security) are fully briefed on the special considerations for an inclusive club night such as BOC. We have at least one first aider on site. Your responsibilities Only attend Beautiful Octopus Club if you are over 18. If you require one-to-one support you must bring someone to offer you this support. This person will also need to buy a ticket. You or your support worker/carer must take responsibility for your choice of food or drinks.  However bar staff reserve the right to refuse service at the bar. You or your support worker/carer must take responsibility for your journey to and from the club and when you choose to leave. You or your support worker/carer must take responsibility for your personal care e.g help with going to the toilet, medication.   You must decide if BOC is a suitable event for your needs. For more information please contact:    Nicky Taylor Community Development Officer West Yorkshire Playhouse Click here to email Nicky Taylor.
	Yamsen in Through the Maze Newsletter The new Winter 2012 Through the Maze newsletter is out!  A part of Mencap in Leeds, Through the Maze provides support to people with learning disabilities, their families and carers.  This includes their seasonal newsletter.  This one features an article on YAMSEN:SpeciallyMusic and a fantastic picture of our Off By Heart Choir on the cover! Click here to read the newsletter.
	Music, Performing Arts and Dyslexia Conference The British Dyslexia Association are holding a conference on Tuesday, 20 March near Manchester.  Presentations will discuss research and best practice about learning and teaching performing arts for those with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties.  The conference is free for parents. Click here to view the flyer and application.
	It’s That Time of Year Again This Wednesday sees the 28th YSM Town Hall Christmas Concert. Last year as so many of us remember snow closed play, and the event was re-run at the West Park Centre in January. For those of us organising and performing at this event, it was quite hard to re-motivate ourselves to be Christmassy festive in the cold January après-holiday weekend... Click here to read more
	Mind The Step Yorkshire Dance promote their creative dance class for adults with learning difficulties.  The  weekly Wednesday evening sessions will begin on 11 January. For more information or to book a place, please contact Yorkshire Dance at 0113 243 8765. Click here to see the Mind The Step e-flyer.