Liam Norcott, from Manchester, who took part in the WEA North West Just The Ticket project, has won one of the three national Transformation Fund Individual Adult Learners' Week (ALW) Awards (the two other winners were from Portsmouth and Peterborough).

Just The Ticket is a WEA project taking participants into a learning experience outside the classroom. The courses, based in and around Liverpool and Manchester, include visits to museums, art galleries, libraries, theatres and country estates, to give students the most out of their experience, learning about their subject of interest.

The ALW awards ceremony was held at Altitude, Millbank Tower in Westminster, London. It included dancing by the Cambridge African Network, a performance by Wandsworth Borough Council's Soul/Gospel UK Ltd, and a poetry reading by the poet Aoife Mannix.

Liam's prize is a commemorative certificate and £200 to spend on informal adult learning.

Liam was interviewed by Ed Melia, NIACE's Head of Media, read out one of his poems and had his entertaining video "It's Spacious Enough for Me" showcased to an appreciative audience.

Here is Liam's entry in the Adult Learners' Week Winners' Profile Book:

LIAM NORCOTT

Adult Learners' Week Transformation Fund Award
North West

Liam's attendance of the Real Surreal course - part of the Just the Ticket project - has taken him on a personal journey of discovery through creative writing and short video production.

Liam is described as 'a man of few words' who doesn't want to be defined by his past; instead, his written work allows him to express who he is now. Liam attended every session, participated in group discussions, and produced some heartfelt written work during the course. He studied women and surrealism and, as part of this, attended an art gallery exhibition, a film screening and a theatre performance.

When Liam was given a video camera at his first session and asked to produce a short film for the next session, he returned the following week with four short films, each highlighting his concept of home in a different way. Liam now hopes to continue his learning and enrol on another Just the Ticket course. Nominator Elaine said, ".his participation and enthusiasm for learning inspires everyone he meets." Liam reflected, "I enjoyed the course Real Surreal. I don't often write stuff. I liked the company and I felt they were a source of inspiration."

Liam enrolled onto two of our Just the Ticket courses: Reel Surreal and A Critical Eye.

During the Reel Surreal course, which focused on women and surrealism, Liam attended the Angels of Anarchy exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery; a screening of Bady Minck at the Cornerhouse; and a performance of Pub at the Royal Exchange. Participation in A Critical Eye involved learning the craft of writing theatre reviews and incorporated visits to the Liverpool Playhouse to see a performance of Ghost Stories; the Royal Exchange for a performance of 1984; and the Cornerhouse to view a screening of Mimack.

Here is one of Liam's poems:

I am lazily projected in my sleep and my brother's nephews are blinking at me. Working, laughing, talking shop, scheming. Scallywags on the market street. Their dogs, vicious, are mocking me.

They are colourful in character. Working.

And man I want a hard drink.

Oh they are hard work and laughs don't come cheap.

The colour fades fast from time.

To the very next time like a kaleidoscope, moving from one scene to the next.

Day glows. Colours; bright red, yellow, bright sunlight speckled with leaves.

My sisters stare at me and look me in the white of my eyes. Tut and sigh and tut a fuss.

My cold toes are waking me. The fading moonlight nudging me. Butterflies kissing me like I am fruit, fallen from a tree.