Creative Interventions: Building Confidence through Creativity
This project engaged students from Duke’s Secondary School in weekly creative sessions, working alongside artists to achieve an Explore Arts Award qualification.
The project aimed to support the development of students’ wellbeing including key skills such as confidence, teamwork, and resilience. The project theme was nature-based and included an outdoor creative session, a devised audio piece and a showcase event in school with other young people and staff.
Timeline
Spring Term 2024 and Autumn Term 2024
Project Partners
Natural England
Mortal Fools
Schools Involved
- NCEA Duke’s Secondary School
Key Goals
- To improve students’ wellbeing and skills to support them to thrive more in school and their wider lives.
- To encourage creative expression through a range of different art forms.
- To develop our long-term partnership with the school.
The Inspiration
The project specifically supported students who had been referred for support with their wellbeing and skills, due to a range of different needs and lived experiences (e.g., neurodivergence, social emotional & mental health, challenging family circumstances)
In working toward the Arts Award Explore, students made nature-based collages, imaginary maps, zines, and four soundscapes expressing their experiences of real and fantasy outdoors spaces using exploration of the actual outdoors to record Foley sound effects.
Outcomes
Accessing Arts Qualification
12 students participated and achieved an Explore Arts Award qualification.
Benefits to social and emotional wellbeing
Pupils reported increased confidence and a sense of feeling valued and listened to. They also reported improved friendships, social interaction, and trust in others.
Improved Emotional Regulation
Pupils felt that after the intervention they were better able to manage their emotions and practice emotional regulation.
Increased Confidence
The sessions enabled pupils to confidently express their thoughts and opinions in front of others, as well as feeling able to talk about their interests and express themselves through creative experiences.
Building relationships
Both pupils and school teachers felt that these interventions improved relationships in school and increased the sense of partnership between school and pupils.
Impact
Find Out More
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