KNOT HEART - Almeida Theatre

Places in the PlayClissold ParkClissold Park is a 22 hectares (54 acres) community park inthe bohemian area of Stoke Newington, east of Islington.The park used to act as the front lawn to Clissold House, aGrade II-listed building, built for Joseph Hoare, a Quakermerchant and anti-slavery campaigner, in the 1790s. Theestate eventually fell to Reverend Clissold; when he died in1882, developers closed in, but activists John Runtz andJoseph Beck convinced the authorities to open it as a publicspace in 1889. It is commonly used by joggers and families,with a playground, café, and ponds.Cranstoun City RoadsCranstoun City Roads Drug Crisis Intervention Centre (in short throughout this pack known as ‘CityRoads’), is a residential detoxification and crisis intervention service for chaotic drug users whose livesare at risk. It remains a unique model of treatment, as the only centre of its kind in London, and its 18beds cover all of the Greater London boroughs, delivering opportunity for the most vulnerable. CityRoads is unique as a self-referral service, with patients admitted 24 hours a day.Once admitted to City Roads, people are supported to recover from their immediate crisis and todevelop longer term objectives in terms of ongoing support and specialist care. People stay for amaximum of 21 days, during which time they receive expert medical, nursing and social carefacilitating the opportunity to regain their health and self belief in a future without drug misuse.This service was commissioned by the Department of Health and opened in May 1978. It was thevision and result of years of work involving social and health care professionals from statutory andnon-statutory organisations. Key individuals grew to understand that supporting people to addresstheir drug use far extended the provision of a hospital bed and a detoxification regime. City Roads isrun by Cranstoun, a charity established in 1969 offering support and treatment services to thoseaffected by drug use.The Almeida Theatre islocated on AlmeidaStreet, just off UpperStreet’s main drag, andvery close to GibsonSquare.The theatre has a stronglocal focus, with manyaudiences drawn fromthe surrounding area.The theatre’s educationdepartment worksclosely with many localyoung people fromacross the borough ofIslington and itsneighbouring areas.35Resource Pack: The Knot of the Heart