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It was an extremely busy summer! Our latest news is out - read all about what we've been doing and also about what's coming up. We're working on some exciting projects: keep an www.facebook.com/MossleyCommunityConnections/ : Mossley Community Connections Facebook for a project we are starting in Walsall soon, October Half term activities with young people (link for families to sign up here: https://form.jotform.com/231053932879362 and a lovely Arts Council funded project with Wolverhampton based Sri Lankan artist Kanjana Nicholas. Exciting times!  
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We have been successful in securing funding from the Youth Engagement Strategy board in Wolverhampton to deliver a week of arts, crafts and BSL activities for all young people aged 8-16 (25 with an EHCP) living in Wolverhampton. The dates are: Monday 30th October to Friday 3rd November 10am - 2.30pm each day. See advert for details and you can book places for young people using the link below. 
We're Stronger Together! We were grateful to City of Wolverhampton Council and Department for Education, for funding our 2 week Summer HAF(Holidays Activities and Food) activity. 8-16 year olds (25 with an EHCP) participated in a wide variety of art activities and we included some BSL (British Sign Language) teaching too. We also worked with our friends at Stratton Street Community Centre for 2 days of sessions. We made woodland creatures out of pine cones, deisgned ceramic tiles, totes bags and performed our original song ‘We Shine Together’ – in sign language! The children learnt all the signs to the song in one morning, and then performed in front of an audience – amazing. You can watch the video on YouTube (or scroll down to see it). Feedback from our sessions was very positive. We've included young people's feedback and results of online surveys for the 2 weeks below. Here is a snapshot of what they did in Week 1….Giant Newsprint MosaicsThis is an effective and accessible way to make art very quickly. Instead of using paint we use magazines and newspapers to gather a palette of colours. Normally these are A4 size but we decided it would make a great day 1 activity to encourage team building and getting the young people to meet new people. The 2 designs with hands are from original artworks by our Deaf director Gary O'Dowd. The other 2 images are synonymous with Wolverhampton: the Man On The Horse and the Wolf face. BSL (British Sign Language) and Ceramic tile artOur Deaf role model and company director taught the young people some basic sign language and then played some games including BSL bingo. The afternoon session was a ceramic tile design session. Superheroes and AffirmationsOur newest team member, the wonderful and vivacious Jen, led a fantastic session which encouraged the young people to channel their inner superhero! They made boxes in which they could place 'treasure' - reminders of why they are so fantastic on those days when they don't. Drawing day incl Still Life studiesThe young people did a range of drawings, using a variety of media to create superb artworks. In the afternoon they made still life drawings of fresh fruit and vegetables which they then took home. Bark board art inspired by British Art Show 9Michael Armitage, one of the British Art Show 9 exhibitors in Wolverhampton last year was the inspiration for this session. Our volunteer Wayne then led some drawings in a circle, with the assistance of one of the young people. Here's what they did in Week 2"Who do you think you are - Van Gogh?" Yes! We used acrylic paints mixed with cornflour to replicate Vincent's impasto style. We love how these are all unique, despite being the same subject. Clay print making and Negative drawingsThis was done in the same way as linocut printing but instead of using lino we used clay because it's a softer material and you don't need dangerous sharp tools. WE HAD A CARNIVAL!!The lovely Jen led another session for us - this time she taught the young people (and us staff!) about the history of carnival and the various cultures that celebrate carnivals around the world. Then they crated fabulous masks, fans and headpieces. See our Facebook page for a video of their conga dance! Qigong and dot drawingsSue, a registered Qigong tutor, led a fabulous session of this gentle Chinese martial art movement technique. Then The children made wonderful dot paintings inspired by African / Aboriginal indigenous art. CARDBOARD DAY!RAW started originally as a final year project by Alex Vann. He wrote a book called 'Joseph The useful Cardboard Box' all about the uses of a discarded cardboard box. So...we had a cardboard ox day, why? Because children absolutely LOVE cardboard!! Healthy Eating ActivitiesPart of the funding for HAF is about educating young people on healthy eating choices. We integrated this into our art activities, as well as the fresh fruit and veg still life drawings we did these.... RAW at Stratton Street Community Centre HAF 2023We love working with our colleagues at Stratton Street Community Centre. We delivered 2 days of arts and BSL experiences. See their creations below and watch the video of our own song: 'We Shine Together' which includes some lyrics written by Gail, the manager of the Community Centre. Views of the Young People'THOUGHT OF THE DAY' slipsSurvey Results - Week 1Survey Results - Week 2Quotes from the Young PeopleIt was very amazing Incredible Half Term Creativity We were very pleased to be awarded funding for a week of creative activity in Wolverhampton, over February Half Term Holidays. The scheme is part of the wider #YES (Youth Engagement Strategy funded by City of Wolverhampton Council) offer across many providers in and around the city. We worked with 8-16 year olds (18 with an EHCP) on a wide variety of creative projects and included some BSL (British Sign Language) teaching to boot. SurrealismWe always respond to feedback we receive from young people and in October they told us they'd like to do some Surrealism. So we showed a presentation of what the art movement was all about, who the main artists were and what the lasting influence on our modern day art forms is. They created some fabulous Surreal works (see pics below) British Sign LanguageGary, a deaf director of RAW delivered some British Sign Language including fingerspelling your name, basic 'meet and greet' signs and they played a few games of 'BSL Bingo' to make sure they'd learnt everything properly! Charlie Chaplin montageBecause of the connection between Charlie Chaplin and Wolverhampton and that he was another influential multi talented artist, we delivered a short presentation about him and his work and the young people created this wonderful sectioned piece. They each took a square of the bigger picture and did it in their own way (example of magazine collage shown). When pieced together like a jigsaw, the picture comes into wonderful focus Indigenous style dot drawingsSome beautiful and affective drawings done in an Aboriginal / African style Clay CreationsThe young people made some amazing clay creations, including a delightful daffodil, a wonderful wave and mini replica of the Support Life wolf painted by RAW's director Alex Vann as part of the 'Wolves in Wolves' public art project in 2017. Pop Art greetings cards and canvas tote bagsIt's a wrap!!Final Day: We've had a blast with the team, staff, volunteers and our hosts All Saints Action Network Ltd on our Feb Half term scheme supported by City of Wolverhampton Council’s #YES Youth Engagement Strategy. Donna, one of our volunteers showed the young people her beautiful portrait painting which will soon be displayed in an exhibition at Newhampton Arts Centre One of the young people brought in some cardboard sculpture with moving parts that he’d made at home.  Here's what the young people told us in their daily feedback forms:I enjoyed today as it was a group project. Some of us challenged ourselves to get through it and we did! RESULTS OF ONLINE SURVEYS COMPLETED BY THE YOUNG PEOPLEWhen asked if they enjoyed taking part 100% said 'YES' When asked if they learnt something new 100% said 'YES' When asked if they felt more creative / inspired 100% said 'YES' When asked if they'd like to attend RAW sessions again 100% said 'YES' Comments from the online surveys:They made me feel creative and I had fun and I normally don’t like drawing very much and I don’t normally get creative at school or home Feb Half Term Arts, Crafts and BSL**PLEASE NOTE: THIS PROJECT IS NOW FULL** Please use the booking button to be added to our waiting list and future communications about our projects for young people.  We are delighted to have been funded by Wolverhampton Council's Youth Engagement Strategy Board for Feb Half Term Activities.
- FREE sessions for young people in Wolverhampton aged 8-16 (18 with an EHCP) - High quality art materials and tuition provided - Meet new friends and try something new! - Previous art skills not necessary - Packed lunch included - Young people with SEND are welcome (please get in touch with us to discuss) Click the button below to book your child(ren) on: From Pumpkins to Pop Art!
We were pleased to receive funding from City of Wolverhampton Council and Youth Engagement Strategy (#YES) to provide creative and BSL activities for young people living in Wolverhampton during the October half term holidays.
Our team delivered a wide variety of activities, something different every morning and afternoon on each day. The artworks they created were outstanding and the young people told us that they really enjoyed the BSL (British Sign Language) activities – which included some games of BSL bingo which got VERY competitive!! We were delighted to be visited by a local councillor and have our project featured in the Express and Star and on the council’s Facebook page. See below for the results of monitoring feedback including some lovely comments from the young people. Our project was featured on the council's Facebook page 'Wolverhampton Today'
Young peoples' feedback (online surveys)Some of these are new things I have never done; my goal is to have lots of cool art on a corner of my room Parent / carer feedback.Thank you for giving him this opportunity to learn. He would be happy to join again. Results of monitoring feedback
We've had an extremely busy Summer!We were delighted to be able to work on several projects during the Summer holidays of 2022. In week 1 we worked with WV10 Consortium and in particular the 'Arty Garden' Project at Stratton Street Community Centre. Weeks 2-5 we were delivering our own Summer HAF project funded by City of Wolverhampton Council and Department for Education at All Saints Action Network. In week 6 we worked with Wolverhampton Social Prescribing service on a range of activities for young people aged 13-17. Read the full details for each project below: Week 1: The 'Arty Garden' Project at Stratton Street Community Centre We love working with other organisations and this Summer had the pleasure of working with WV10 Consortium and in particular one of their member organisations, Stratton Street Community Centre. They do so much for the local community that is was great to be able to help make their ‘secret garden’ even more inviting by tidying up the space, painting a mural on the outside fence, decorating the inside panels with recycled bottle flowers and upcycling old furniture and tyres to make a colourful and vibrant environment. Why not visit the Community centre and take your own 'Butterfly Selfie' to share on social media :-) Weeks 2-5 : Summer HAF activities We were grateful to receive a HAF (Holidays Activities and Food) grant from City of Wolverhampton Council and Department for Education to provide 4 weeks of activities for eligible young people. We provided them with a wide range of enrichment activities that included visual arts, activities linked to healthy eating, learning new skills, trying something new and learning from visiting artists. Here are just a few photos: Healthy EatingDrawing and PaintingSign Song: 'We Shine Together'.Watch the video of the YP performing the song in sign language: Andy Warhol's 'Campbell's New England Clam Chowder Soup' British Art Show 9 ActivitiesAfrican / British artist Michael Armitage was one of the artists exhibiting at British Art Show in Wolverhampton earlier in the year 2022. His style inspired the following artworks. British Sign Language (BSL) Learning with GaryOur very own Deaf role model Gary O'Dowd taught the young people some basic of sign language and included some Healthy food options vocabulary as part of the requirement of the HAF funding. Cardboard ArtAt the start of our project the young people creating a 6ft cardboard wolf, decorated with their own drawings and paintings and with a recycling box at the base to encourage people to do their bit for the environment. Later in the project they made models of Wolverhampton landmarks - they are brilliant! Crafts and Clay ModellingA variety of creations using clay, papers, pots and ceramic tiles. Also, some sun prints using special photosensitive Cyanotype papers. Visiting ArtistsOne of the important things we do is introduce young people to practising professional artists. This summer we were lucky to have 3 people show them their work. Lewis a recent graduate in graphic design, Donna a painter and drawer who led a fab colour mixing theory workshop and Rhianna, a young person herself who showed her small business making polymer clay bracelet charms and her journey on RAW sessions which led to being exhibited at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. One of the young people made his own board game at home during our programme and brought it in and shared that with the group too. :-) Feedback from the young peopleHeadlines from online surveys:   This was the best day ever! Week 6: Social Prescribing / Thriving Communities art projectWhat an amazingly creative group of young people aged 13-17! From the first day making a cardboard tree in sections that reflect the seasons of the year to making models of Wolverhampton Art Gallery of the Future, they impressed us (and the gallery) with their skills and ideas. Just look at what they did.... Watch the video of 'Art Galleries of the Future.' We've been funded for Summer HAF! We are delighted to have been funded to provided high quality arts crafts and BSL experiences for young people with HAF codes in Wolverhampton aged between 8-16 (up to 18 with an EHCP). We are offering a varied programme of activities including: painting, drawing, clay, sign language learning and sign song, crafts, recycled art, cardboard sculpture, healthy eating education through art and much more. We have many years' experience and are able to inspire young people to create unique art. To register, please download and return the consent form below. ** EVENT FULLY BOOKED ** Get in touch for waiting list places Thank you to all our partners, followers and liker's for sharing our Summer HAF project. We are now fully booked!! However if you are a parent / carer looking for arts activities, please get in touch as we have started a waiting list in case of drop outs or no shows and there is always the Youth Opportunities website which has many, many free of charge opportunities for young people with a HAF number (and also paid for activities). https://www.yowolves.co.uk/events 
Amazing Art by young people - Wolverhampton Easter HAF 2022 We [Real Arts Workshops] were delighted to be awarded a grant from City of Wolverhampton Council to deliver 2 weeks of art, craft and BSL (British Sign Language) experiences for young people in Wolverhampton over Easter school holidays 2022. The HAF (Holidays Activities and Food) Programme was rolled out by the government in 2021 and provides free holiday provision including healthy food and enriching activities for low-income households.
We worked with some children who have additional needs and were able to adapt our activities to make them accessible. Having Deaf staff and staff with mobility issues shows young people that adversity can be overcome, and a sense of achievement is for everyone! But don’t just take our word for it! Here are some photographs of their creations and examples what the young people told us in daily ‘Thought of the Day’ slips and weekly online surveys: “The staff are very kind, they are great at making things enjoyable” In conclusionLooking at the the feedback received from the young people our work falls into these categories:
DOING SOMETHING NEW Trying out something new. Learning new skills. Experimenting with new ideas. Doing things for the first time. Making new friends. BEING CHALLENGED Being challenged by the materials and projects and enjoying that challenge. Doing things that they don’t get to do elsewhere. BEING ENGAGED IN REWARDING ACTIVITY Getting out of the house. Working in a group. Sharing experiences. Doing art as an activity that combats boredom and being sedentary. FEELINGS of WELLBEING Having fun. Feeling safe. Feeling excited. Feeling happy. Feeling included. Feeling supported. Feeling calm. TEAMWORK Making new friends; working in a group; working with others to make art; collaboration. Thanks to our funders for making this project possible and to The Workspace at ASAN (All Saints Action Network) for hosting us brilliantly and to Onboard Corrugated for donating high quality corrugated cardboard to create art and sculpture with the young people.
Free* activities for families registered for HAF in Wolverhampton We are delighted to announce that we are providing free (*HAF funded) Art, Craft and BSL experiences to young people aged 10-16 in Wolverhampton over Easter Holidays (see the poster above for details). To qualify for our sessions, families must have already registered with City of Wolverhampton Council for HAF scheme and have an email or letter with a barcode that we can scan at our sessions. Download a consent form (below); or call/tx/WA 07882 685923. Thank you, Alex and Gary (Please spread the word)
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AuthorReal Arts Workshops is an independent arts company based in the Black Country, providing bespoke workshops for various organisations and groups. Archives
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