Teenage tearaways have embraced poetry and song in a bid to turn around their wayward lives.

In a performance last night at the Komedia Theatre in Manchester Street, youngsters from the National Association for the Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders performed dance, sang and read poetry.

Many of the unlikely artists had been expelled from schools or found themselves on the wrong side of the law.

The short-term aim of a special ten-week scheme was to improve their low self-esteem by equipping them with better technical and social skills. Long-term, it is hoped they might find worthwhile jobs.

Komedia Education's Susan Phillips said: "We thought they might be difficult groups to work with but we were amazed at how motivated they became."

She admitted some young people dropped in and out of the project because of their chaotic lifestyles. But the workshop attracted an amazing 50 young people, aged eight to 20.

One 17-year-old, who wrote poetry while recently serving a sentence in a young offenders institute, read his work during the show which also featured dance, video and drama. Since attending the course, he has decided to sign up for a college course.

Another of the offenders compered the event while on stilts.

The course was funded by ScottishPower Learning which stipulated Komedia should use the money to help disadvantaged young people.

Miss Phillips said the youngsters were excited by hands-on activities.

She said: "They were really keen on making their own CDs. Some of them were working with video and interviewing each other which will help them with future interviewing skills."

The scheme also involved St George's, in Brighton, which works with children who have been excluded from school, another Brighton-based group, Carousel, which helps children with special education needs and Phab, the group for the Physically Handicapped and Able Bodied.