Creativity Works is an award-winning charity and socially engaged arts organisation based in Radstock, in Bath and North East Somerset, delivering creative projects that make a real difference to people’s lives. There are several strands to our work including our Mental Health and Wellbeing creative work; delivering social prescribing projects, community based creative workshops and events which boost wellbeing, decrease social isolation and increase life chances for our communities. Our participants include adults living with poor mental health, vulnerable young people, older people, adults living with dementia, young carers and disabled adults.
Through the generous support of The Pixel Fund, we are now piloting a series of creative workshops in schools (particularly primary schools) in our local area to help unlock conversations about mental health with pupils, their families and teachers to help break down the stigma around mental health and also support teachers in classrooms who are struggling to cope with the significant increase in poor mental health for children and young people. Mental health conditions have increased from 10.8% in 2017 to 16% in July 2020 across all age, sex, and ethnic groups according to England’s Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey (MHCYP) and the pandemic has only exasperated this problem.
Outcomes from our pilot will include:
· Breaking down the stigma attached to mental health and encouraging an open atmosphere where children can openly talk about their feelings
· Help children learn the skills they need to stay emotionally healthy
· A decrease in stress and anxiety in our children and their families which in turn will reduce harmful and challenging behaviour in and out of school
· Supporting teachers with in-classroom resources and signposting them to specialist help and advice
Thank you again to the Pixel Fund for supporting this pilot project and for enabling Creativity Works to expand our mental health delivery into formal education settings.