HeadStart /RAW Summer Programme

We were delighted to be asked to deliver the art sessions for HeadStart Wolverhampton Summer Activities in Low Hill + The Scotlands areas.

RAW is all about ‘Giving People a Creative Voice’. That is achieved through providing a platform for people to use the Arts to express themselves; break down barriers; build confidence; encourage team work; have fun; try something new and learn new skills.

We are aware of the work HeadStart does in supporting the mental wellbeing of young people and wanted our activities to reflect that.

​We designed a varied programme which included – 

Honesty Portraits

 - inspired by a series of postcards created by a teenager dealing with her own mental health issues. Young people were encouraged to draw and paint what makes them happy / unhappy and use innovative ways of expressing that, including collage and use of text / vocabulary.  They designed masks on paper first and then painted on plain masks mounted onto canvas. These were then photographed and made into postcards. Here are a few examples of their work: 

This was the messiest art work we’ve done! (Cofi)

I felt happy (Nicole)

The Tree Of Hope

​- decorated with print outs of artwork they’d created previously, ‘wish tags’ - written tags about a general wish they have for the world and drawings and statements about their hopes and aspirations for the future.

British Sign Language and Deaf Awareness

- led by RAW team member Gary, who is profoundly Deaf. This included the 'Numberplate Game' to test the young people had learnt fingerspelling and numbers in BSL.

I found it really interesting – learning sign language and about blind and deaf people. It was good creating the images for the posters. (Emma)

It’s really good and I enjoyed learning sign language (Brinley)

Performing the HeadStart song in Sign Language

The young put their newly found sign language skills to good use and produced a video of them signing along to the HeadStart song which was written by young people in association with Rock School Music.  The song is all about the worries some young people feel when they leave primary education and start 'big school'.

I enjoyed all of it. I was kind of nervous seeing myself on the video (doing sign language to the HeadStart song) but my confidence is growing. (Keira)

Portrait drawing in proportion

Alex demonstrated a quick way to divide a 'headspace' to get the features in the right positions.

'The 5 Ways To Wellbeing': pledges and poster designs

We used the NHS '5 ways to wellbeing' as a starting point for young people to think how they could 1. Connect; 2. Give; 3. Keep Learning; 4. Take Notice and 5. Keep Active.

​We have been very pleased with the work created and hope that the young people have something they will feel proud of and remember for years to come.
 
Alex Vann and Gary O’Dowd.

Feedback from the young people who took part

"I like doing art because I don’t get to do painting at home" (Corey)

"I found it really fun because I can finally have a chance to paint to my full potential" (Theo)

"I really enjoyed the art session" (Isabelle)

"It’s really good and I enjoyed learning sign language" (Brinley)

"It’s really fun to try new things and make friends, and understand what art is all about" (Nnedimma)

"I found it really interesting – learning sign language and about blind and deaf people. It was good creating the images for the posters." (Emma)

"I enjoyed all of it. I was kind of nervous seeing myself on the video (doing sign language to the HeadStart song) but my confidence is growing." (Keira)
​
"I enjoyed the art – I’ve always done art and love to express myself that way." (Demi)
 
"This was the messiest art work we’ve done!" (Cofi)
 
Mine is about anti-bullying.(Madison)
 
My painting shows good things at the top and bad at the bottom. (Lexi)
 
I felt happy (Nicole)

NB: Copyright in all of the original work shown here is owned by the originator(s) including the young people, and has been used with permission. All other artwork, photographs and video are © 2018 Real Arts Workshops.