Children’s Reimagined Mona Lisa Goes Viral
​After Half-Term Art Project

The current view and like count (28.2.26)

The final composited artwork

Two of the young artists involved, pointing out their squares

The individual squares during assembly

Detail

Drawing in progress

One of RAW’s Directors, Alex Vann, said:
“This project shows the power of creativity when young people are trusted to explore, express and collaborate. Seeing their pride when the final piece was revealed was incredible. The online response has been overwhelming, and it’s wonderful to see their work being celebrated so widely.”

“This isn’t just a picture,” added Vann. “It’s a story of teamwork, imagination and young voices. We’d love to see it hanging somewhere the whole community can enjoy.”

Day 1: Pop Art Fruit and Healthy Lifestyles

Day 1: Deaf Awareness and BSL learning

Day 2: Leonardo da Vinci and Recreating his Mona Lisa

A Black Country version of Leonardo's Last Supper by Max Vann (father of our director Alex)

Day 3: Georges Seurat and Pointillism

Day 4 : Hama Beads and Slate Coasters

Day 5: Mental Health Activities

QUOTES FROM LEARNERS
 

• Doing the Mona Lisa collage was very fun, I liked using pastels
• I enjoyed doing Mona Lisa today.
• I enjoyed doing Mona Lisa, I loved the paper part and how it turned out.
• I enjoyed doing pop art, I enjoyed it because I learnt a new way to create art using a different art technique with colours.
• It was fun! I liked that it was challenging, and I like painting.
• On Monday I really enjoyed painting 4 different fruits and on Tuesday I enjoyed painting the 2 squares of Mona Lisa collage.
• I had a really fun experience.
• Pop art was nice. I liked painting it.
• Today I enjoyed doing the Pointillism artwork – it was fun
• I felt happy.
• It was fun. I liked that it was challenging and I like painting.
• I would like to do more Hama beads. I had a fun experience using Hama beads.
• I love this place.
• Today was definitely good
• I like doing the coasters.
• I think today was good because we did Hama beads and coaster today was definitely good.
• I felt calm and excited because I loved the session and made me feel enjoyable.
• I loved both the activities; I did like to do more of the beads.
• I like all today. It was fun
• It was amazing - so much fun.
• I enjoyed everything today. The Pointillism art was really fun and relaxing.
• This place is really nice and I don’t think the staff need to improve
• I love it here
• The teachers are very kind and so is the company too. I love the experience it is great to be a part of the lovely club keep up your good work and remember to always keep going towards your dreams and never give up god bless all of you community it is great to have positive club and this club is always positive and when I say it’s nice being in this club I mean the club is nice have a great day all of you guys, bye now guys

THANK YOU!

February Half Term HAF Art and BSL Activities

​Celebrating 2025 & Stepping into 2026

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Amazing Winter Creativity across 3 local authorities

Our Wolverhampton HAF scheme ran for 4 days in total: 3 dates Mon 22nd - Wed 24th Dec 2025 at The Workspace, All Saints Action Network WV2 1EL and 1 date on 2nd January 2026 at Bob Jones Community Hub. We worked with 24 young people most days. Families booked on through the EEQU booking system, and HAF eligibility was a benefits related free school meal and we worked with 7-16 year olds, or an EHCP (Education Health Care Plan), and we worked with young people 7-25.

Selection of Photos - Wolverhampton

Feedback from learners and parents / carers - Wolverhampton

22.12.25

• Very fun my favourite was the Christmas cards. I recommend this activity.
• I felt good and I had fun.
• I liked it! I kind of think that we should do more of this stuff
• I like decorating the small pots and painting on the mini canvas.
• Very nice
• I liked the pots the most.
• I enjoyed the canvas painting and enjoyed all the other activities
• My favourite thing was designing tiny pots.
• I think it was nice and the bells were good
• I really had a jolly experience doing the canvas
• I like doing the mini pots and I would be better if they had stars. Everything else was good. 

 
23.12.25

• I enjoyed all the activities today; it was really fun.
• I liked when we made a calendar of the year.
• It was very fun today.
• I really liked doing the activities and I would like to do more.
• Favourite so far! I loved the freedom we had to decorate it all.
• My favourite activity was the calendar.
• My day had fun and making the vision board.
• I enjoyed everything activities because they were really fun.
• I liked doing the vision board. I also like to do the calendar.
• I enjoyed doing my vision board and I like to do something like this again with stickers.

 
24.12.25

• Today I liked drawing the bird (robin)
• I loved the activity today. They were really fun.
• I had fun with sign language.
• I enjoyed learning different sign language and motions I also liked the BSL bingo.
• I liked doing the BSL and enjoyed sign language I also liked doing the drawing the bird.
• I liked drawing my robin bird and doing sign language. Next time I want to do more drawing.
• I enjoyed today.
• I enjoyed drawing robin bird and very nice.
• I like coming here, I liked doing my activity, I liked the food and I liked the staff and volunteers.
• It was fun and the thing that I love the most was doing sign language
• I enjoyed the BSL bingo and the bird drawing we did.
• I liked doing robin drawing, he looks fluffy but it was hard to draw.
• I liked drawing robin. It was really hard to do.

 
2.1.26
 

• We did a firework paper drawing using Posca pens and a horse drawing in the morning and BSL and I enjoyed today.
• The kids enjoy it. Really wonderful. So informing and educational. Food was ok. Thank you. (PARENT)
• I don’t like the food or the drawing, but I really enjoyed the BSL and the BSL games and Bingo.
• I really enjoyed coming and want to learn more.
• I enjoyed it so much, it doesn’t need changing.
• It needs to improve on more activities otherwise everything was very nice.
• I like learning new language and art.
• I felt amazing. I loved the food and the activities. Nothing bad happened.
• PARENT:  I really enjoy your BSL session which is very informative. My children really enjoyed as my daughter really wants to learn BSL. Thank you.
• Best day ever so much fun
• I liked all the activities and the fireworks
• I loved to learn sign language.

Our Dudley HAF scheme ran for 3 days : Mon 29th - Wed 31st Dec at Green Park Community Centre, Dudley DY2 7LG We worked with 15 young people most days. Families booked on through the Booking Lab system, and HAF eligibility was a benefits related free school meal and we worked with 7-16 year olds.

Selection of Photos - Dudley

Recipe and food packs from Black Country Food Bank

Feedback from learners and parents/carers - Dudley

29.12.25

• Loved playing outside and art.
• Today was fun.
• The BSL was fun although I thought it would be boring. The Art/Acrylic Posca was something fun and new to learn and the fruit beginning was an interesting way to spark creativity.
• I liked the scratchy thing (scratch art card for fireworks)
• I felt really happy; my favourite thing was drawing the fireworks.
• I like when we learned own names (in BSL) and I love it.
• Today was the best I enjoyed making pictures with the fruit. I most enjoyed going and playing on the mini park and learning sign language.
• I love today. The teachers are helpful and funny. I like learning and listening with sign language.
• I enjoyed the firework piece in the art section and all of the BSL bit because I find sign language very interesting.

 
30.12.25

• I loved it.
• I loved everything today.

 
31.12.25

• I enjoyed doing the clay and making the models. I also enjoyed recapping on my BSL.
• I liked the part where I designed the bag.
• I LOVED today. I loved making clay. I loved the food. I loved sign language and drawing.
• My favourite thing was the BSL, clay and design bag.
• I enjoyed the clay and the bag today.
• I like the food and making bag.
• I liked the food it filled me up and really nice. I liked doing the clay and I like making bags.
• I liked today because we made stuff out as clay and designed a bag and the lunch was lovely.
• I enjoyed designing my own bag. I also enjoyed the lunch.
• I enjoyed making my own bag and the lunch.
• I liked today because we made stuff out of clay.
• Everyone is very friendly and welcoming. I’ve really enjoyed myself and enjoyed doing different types of art. The food was great.
• Everyone is nice.
• ​
  

PARENT A
My 3 daughters, absolutely loved every second of the Dudley HAF sessions they attended. They all love learning BSL and find it fascinating. They love art and one is particularly passionate about art and is always either creating something from clay or drawing . They are already looking forward to Easter sessions!
Thank you for the dedication and hard work from all the team x

PARENT B
My daughter said the activities were great with lovely staff helping. She would prefer to be with children her own age suggesting there is a teenage group.

Our Sandwell Winter HAF scheme ran for 3 days : Mon 29th - Wed 31st Dec in the upstairs room at the beautiful Carnegie  Wednesbury Library, Walsall Street Wednesbury WS10 9EH We worked with 15 young people most days. Families booked on through the e-Vouchers system, and HAF eligibility was a benefits related free school meal and we worked with 7-16 year olds, and EHCP upto age 19 (we worked with children aged 7 and up).

Selection of Photos - Sandwell

​Feedback from learners and parents/carers - Sandwell

29.12.25

• I loved it and got to learn things
• I learnt more about sign language and foods in BSL
• I felt good about this activity it was more interesting than I expected and extremely fun. I would probably come back here again.

 
30.12.25

• I made things with clay
• I really enjoyed the clay making as it allowed me to express my artism
• Very, very, very, very, very good!
• I found the clay art fun and would like to do that again
• I enjoyed clay sculpting and designing a picture
• It was very nice and good
• AMAZING!
• Super fun but maybe let people use coloured clay
• I enjoyed that we had lots of fun things, and I think I want to do it again
• I liked when we made bags

 
31.12.25

• I enjoyed it very much!
• I did graffiti!
• I liked the chicken burger and Jenga!
• I like when we did the (watercolour) picture it was so fun, I loved it
• I enjoyed graffiti and the staff/hosts are very kind

 

October News Round Up

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Delivering summer HAF Schemes across the region

SELECTION OF PHOTOS

QUOTES FROM LEARNERS

28.7.25

• I like activities we did and that you included education.
• Very fun time colouring and eating fruit and dinner.
• I liked the Minecraft drawing – especially how I can draw a Minecraft poster. Staff were friendly and nice I had lots of fun. Probably the best club I’ve been to this holiday.
• I liked the [Minecraft] Steve step by step drawing. It made it easy to follow the process.

 
29.7.25

• BSL Bingo, Signing, Clay making and colouring. Food was great, great communication, signing games more of them please. Lovely morning
• Really fun clay [pot making]
• Playing with clay was fun.
• I enjoyed doing the clay models and the wood models. I enjoyed lunch and I really enjoyed learning some more Sign Language.

 
30.7.25

• Today we did drawing and it was fun. I did finger spelling with Gary, it was good. The food was lovely then we made plate drawings.
• I loved today, especially plate making to making patterns on paper.
• Everything was perfect.
• It was fun today and lunch too.
• I like everything today

 
31.7.25

• I enjoyed it and had fun. I liked charcoal, its good, and making a tile - very colourful. I liked the food.
• I liked doing the art with charcoal and I liked the food.
• I liked lunch very much and I enjoyed with tiles and charcoal.
• I felt happy and I liked drawing on the tiles.
• I liked the tiles and charcoal.
• I loved today’s activity painting on tiles and drawing with chalk. It’s been very fun.
• It was very good today, I like all of the staff.

 
1.9.25

• In the morning we made homemade pencil cases, and masks in the afternoon. I enjoyed it and I made a new friends.
• liked the pencil case and mask. I love the food too. Staff are friendly  + helpful. I’d like to come again in future.
• I felt happy and I liked doing the mask and pencil case.
• I liked making my mask and pencil case. I learnt some Sign Language as well and played ‘sign down the line’. I really, really, really loved lunch.
• [Mum] Great time for A today. He loved the mask decorating and pencil case. Ideas for future activities: sand art, T-shirt printing & mug decorating.

QUOTES FROM PARENTS

My son had a brilliant time, he even asked for another day he could go, the staff was amazing, wished they had more dates, really hope next school holidays there more dates.
ET
 
My daughter thoroughly enjoyed the activities with RAW and said the staff was great. She looks forward to doing sessions with them in the future.
KR
 
To all at R.A.W,
[W] attended your arts workshop and had a lot of fun! She came home with a lovely mask and pencil case she had created and said the people were friendly and helped her.
 
She would love to do another workshop with you in the future as she loves drawing. Having someone there using BSL was great too and the postcard of the alphabet is something I hope to teach the children over the summer break also!
Thank you for looking after W and hope to see you soon!
LW
​

​SELECTION OF PHOTOS

QUOTES FROM LEARNERS

Today the activity I have enjoyed the most is using your imagination to create pictures with fruit
 
I like how we made things and how you get to play outside and have fun and I learned sign language and how to finger spell my own name.
 
I liked the clay sculpting and learning a new language.
 
I felt happy today because I like drawing. I liked my lunch. I have fun. I made a friend.
 
I would like to come again because I love art and what I’ve done today.
 
The things that I liked the most was going outside to play because I had fun and started to make new friends and the food was really good.
 
I love the food and the art – it was the best day ever.
 
We really enjoyed it. The activities were really good.
 
Great fun, I enjoyed doing charcoal I liked going to outside at lunchtime. The food was lovely. I’d like to come again in future
 
I absolutely loved our day I had fun using charcoal and it inspired me to use it in the future. I loved the tile and I think next time could try papier maché
I liked today activity because it made more confident with my drawing by exploring art equipment. Liked doing the tiles because it was fun to colour.
 
I enjoyed it a lot it was easy and enjoyable and its for a long time but feels like a short time.
I enjoyed the pencil case because you could take it to school and take it with you. I really liked it here too.
 
It was fun, I loved it.
 
I felt great.
 
I felt very happy, relaxed and tired after today. I loved everything we did today. I would love if next time we did some painting.
​
This is the best club I’ve ever been to.

QUOTES FROM PARENTS

“M attended the workshop and really enjoyed it. Thank you so much.”
 
“My son said it was really fun using different types of art and learning a bit of sign language.”
 
“C has been to many ART activities through HAF but I must say this was very impressive.
It has revealed her creative mind and talent and the material use in the activity is of good quality.”
“I wish there was a possibility there for her and other children to be picked up and given a chance to develop their talent.”
 
“She proudly displays her work in her bedroom wall and can’t wait to joint the next opportunity. Will be happy to pass her HAF details to be booked for all future activity you will organise.”
 
“The sign posting materials are of good use too.”
 
“Thank you very much, for your time and dedication.”
 
“Fantastic! My girls said the session was amazing and are gutted they can’t do it again.”

Selection of Photos

QUOTES FROM LEARNERS

From ‘Thought of the Day’ slips:
 
11.8.25
 
I like today especially making fruit faces. It was a very fun day today.
 
I enjoyed learning how to shade in the apple.
 
I felt good about this activity
 
I loved the BSL and the crossword and the staff
 
I really liked when we made animals as a fruits. I would like to do making masks and other creative stuff (we did masks in a later session)
 
I liked everything and I would like to do more activities and crafts to do with drawing (we did drawing in subsequent sessions)
 
Very nice activities. Need cardboard and clay please! (we did both activities on subsequent days)
 
I like doing the fruit animals and in the future, I would like to some painting. (we did painting in a later session)
 
I am very happy and had so much fun. I like coming here
 
I felt happy because I learnt BSL and I like doing the pencil drawing of an apple
 
It was decent doing BSL. The most fun part knowing how to use BSL, it was really helpful. I liked today.
 
12.8.25
I really like the activities today and when we designed the bag
 
13.8.25
I like the bag because I like drawing and like the pencil case because I haven’t done that before
 
I liked creating the bag the best because there were various options to use and materials as well as colours, and because it turned out good.
 
Today I loved doing art and designing my stuff and I really loved it.
 
Fun, I liked making drawstring draw bags. I would like cardboard (we did this in a later session)
 
I really enjoyed making the wooden pencil case 😊
 
I liked everything we did today. I really liked making my pencil case
 
19.8.25
I felt satisfied with today activities because the staff friendly and very helpful. I most enjoyed BSL because I’ve always been curious about it but never had a chance to actively learn it from someone else. I have no other comment other than the other kids very friendly.
 
I enjoyed making the hats and playing BSL games and sign language.
 
I enjoyed this afternoon’s session. The BSL was really fun and we played BSL Bingo and BSL finger spelling from memory. I think we should do this more often.
 
I really loved today. It was so fun! I loved the finger spelling and designing the caps. I loved it so much. Thank you!
 
I enjoyed both BSL and designing the hats today. I also enjoyed the canvas painting and graffiti art yesterday.
 
I loved doing the blossom tree painting using masking tape and today I loved BSL bingo.
 
I liked designing my baseball cap. I loved the food at lunchtime.
 
20.8.25
It was good and fun making the bridges and decorating them
 
I like the lunch
 
I loved the teamwork and how it made everyone do everything!
 
It was fun making a bridge
 
I enjoyed creating a [cardboard] tower because we got to use a lot of activity and teamwork.
 
I liked making the bridge and making it stable, strong and colourful.
 
I liked the teamwork. I got to talk to new people. It was the first time I made something big.
 
 
 
Jotform Survey Responses:
 
I loved it. Will be come back in the future.
 
I really liked it thank you❤️
 
I had a great time😁
 
I really liked it a lot
 
I love it here
 
It was great. Best thing I have ever decided to do

QUOTES FROM PARENTS

​“Our child has SEND, is autistic and has a complex presentation which can vary widely from day to day and even minute to minute. Real Arts Workshops have gone above and beyond in making reasonable adjustments to enable his participation in every holiday season for the past few years, and in managing any incidents appropriately when they do happen. This is the only HAF provider we have used in the last year, and we are most grateful for the opportunities RAW have afforded us.” 
 
 
“My little one enjoyed attending Real Arts Workshops.
She likes crafting, colouring in groups and also learned few signs in BSL and how to cross the road safely. She is definitely looking forward to joining again on the next school break
All the best, Thank you.”
 
 
“As always, there was plenty of providers to choose from over the summer holidays. I was sure that my children would ask me if I could sign them up for VR and gaming sessions, but no! 
They both asked me if they could go to RAW (again), because they have really enjoyed the previous sessions (during Easter Holidays, Christmas and last year over the summer holidays). 
I can’t tell how happy am I that my boys (age 11 and 13) have chosen to spend their time doing arts and crafts over spending time “with technology “. 
A whole TEAM of RAW deserves a big THANK YOU and WELL DONE for being very friendly, helpful, creative and for making their sessions so interesting that children want to go back there. 
Thank you all. “

Reflecting on a Powerful Creative Journey
​at West Park Hospital NRU

“Being greeted in BSL each week was a joy. The patients embraced learning a new language with so much energy—it really showed how art and language together can boost brain function, confidence, and connection.”

These sessions first began through our Care, Create, Conserve project in 2024, and it's great that the legacy of that project continues to grow. As we move into the next phase, we do so with gratitude, excitement, and a deep commitment to giving people a creative voice.

“The creativity that emerged was remarkable; not just in the artwork, but in the conversations, the friendships, and the renewed sense of purpose.”

Showcasing the participants' work:

Summer HAF Scheme - Sandwell

Summer HAF Scheme - Dudley