The Expressive Art Workshop for 14-18 year olds

Art making as a form of exploration, a mode of communication and a tool for personal expression

The Expressive Arts Studio workshop will run for 10 weeks, running mid February 2020

The Expressive Arts Studio offers adolescents, age 14-18, the opportunity for creative expression as a 'low-skill – high sensitivity' form of art making.

These Studio sessions offer a safe and supportive environment for youth who face major challenges in their lives, experiencing bereavement, difficulties within their families, friends or peers, experiencing difficulties in daily school life or at home, those who are struggling with learning difficulties, or those who just feel the interest to work through life's challenges in a creative way.

The Expressive Arts Studio provides students with a structured weekly creative session in which focus will be placed on personal expression, creative peer interaction and inter-communication and exchange, discovery and strengthening of personal resources and skills, with the aim to increase overall well-being, self-awareness and self-confidence.

The sessions are structured, starting with a discussion about the day and a mindfulness exercise. A specific mental health topic is then introduced which will be the theme of the session. Topics will include information and knowledge about basic psychological conditions, for example anxiety and how to deal with it more effectively, how to deal with negativity, depressive thoughts, being self-compassionate, building emotional resilience, etcetera. These topics are aimed to educate youngsters about mental health and build a useful foundation to general psychological health. After the theoretical part, the students will engage in creative expression, whether free creative writing, expression with various art materials, or movement, to explore the theme/ topic, to create, to discover, and to enjoy the tools for emotional expression and creativity. The session ends with reflection and discussion of the creative process, where everyone can share their experiences, insights or thoughts.

Creative exercises from the field of art therapy will be included, also providing the student with a basic but general insight about the field of art therapy. Art materials are provided. No previous art experience is necessary to participate.