Art Breaks is an innovative project that focuses on children and young people with complex needs, alongside their parents, carers and peers. Across school holidays and weekends, we offer a series of high-quality creative workshops giving children the opportunity to work in collaboration with a team of skilled professional artists and to experience art as a tool for exploration, communication and self-expression.
Although we have had to close the physical studios, we have begun to establish new ways of collaborating and connecting. We have been in contact with many of the families who regularly attend the programme so they can directly feed into the alternative provision during this time. Art Breaks can offer relief during these challenging periods providing bespoke activities that stimulate and inspire in the home environment. We have been remodelling how we work with families, children and young people through our Art Breaks programme.
We have used our core aims as the structure to build our interim programme.
Improve Relationships, Create Positive Empowerment and Support Emotional well-being.
When contacting families about the change in provision many of them said they were struggling to find activities that met the needs of their children. In responses we have created personalised art packs for children with complex needs and their families. Where possible the packs were hand delivered by the team along with a wave from a safe distance. The packs were curated by a number of the artist team that know the families and children very well. Therefore, they are able to include artist materials that would engage and inspire each child.
‘Making up the boxes was a little bit like Christmas; albeit tinged with sadness about the gravity of the pandemic and the impact it is having on the young people and families we support. We hope these boxes are smile-making, inspire some creativity and are a welcome distraction from these worrying times. We also hope they demonstrate to our participants and their families that they are in our thoughts, and that we are still here for them.’ Sarah one of our Art Breaks Artists
‘Two very excited boys today! Thank you so much for the treasure boxes. ’N’ said ‘ this is so lovely of our friends!” Parent
