The Outsiders Project

The Outsiders Project supports artists. 

Our vision is to show that people sidelined from society can create work at the highest level. We support our artists to push boundaries to prove that they can produce work of outstanding quality and worth.

The Outsiders Project exists to support artists, proving that those sidelined from society can produce work of outstanding quality and worth.

The Outsiders Project started with one piece of work made for BEAF Festival in 2018. Founder Nell Leyshon worked with four artists who had previously attended her writing workshops, creating a site specific story-telling show with words and music. Each word was written, spoken and performed by the outsider artists themselves: their stories, their words, their voices.

From this, we have built an organisation around the artists we work with. We have created multiple performances, toured our work to prisons, and produced publications and exhibitions. Our role is to support our artists so that we give them a voice. They in turn give other people their voice. We focus on working with the unheard and marginalised members of the community of Boscombe. The work is shown locally, and then shared with a wider world.

Workshops

We run creative writing and photography workshops throughout the year with marginalised communities in Boscombe. Our workshops help to develop skills, confidence and self-belief.

All workshops are run by trained outsider artists and are free to attend for those that meet our criteria of people who have been sidelined from society. No experience is necessary for any of our workshops.

If you are interested in joining our workshops, please email us at theoutsidersproj@gmail.com

Outsider Artist Criteria

Our workshops are free for people that have been sidelined from society and whose voices have not been heard. We welcome anybody over 18 who previously was or is currently experiencing challenges in any of the following areas: physical limitations; addiction; low income; domestic or sexual abuse; homeless/vulnerably housed; leaver of care; leaver of prison; institutional abuse; refugees/displaced people and those seeking asylum; long term users of mental health services.

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Schedule

Writing Workshops:

Mondays 11.30am-1pm

Tuesdays 6pm-8pm

Every other Wednesday 5pm-7pm (LGBT+)

Photography Workshops:

Saturdays, enquire via theoutsidersproj@gmail.com

TOSH, Gladstone Road, Boscombe BH7 6BG

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Term Dates for Community Groups at TOSH‍

Monday 8th September 2025 - Friday 19th December 2025

Monday 5th January 2026 - Friday 27th March 2026  

Monday 13th April 2026 - Friday 24th July 2026

Current Work

2025- Home (Book)

2025- Tattoo Tour (Performance)

2022- Prisons Project (Performance and Workshops)

Past Work

2021, Lock-In (Book)

2021, Tattoo (Book)

2021, Merry F***ing Christmas (Performance)

2019, The Truth About Men (Performance)

2019, Secret Voices (Performance)

2018, Vodka Hunters (Performance)

The Outsiders Project is a BEAF Arts Co project funded by:

Arts Council England, Lottery Community Fund, People’s Health Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Alpine Fellowship, Sovereign Centre, Talbot Village Trust, Recreate Dorset, Artful Scribe and Literature Works.