Finding Your Voice through Creative Learning
Written by Gemma Waygood, (PGDip in Social Work, MSc in Public Management) - Senior Project Manager at Art of Protest
Who says learning should be fun?
Who says learning should be fun? Senior Project Manager Gemma Waygood shares how her background as a social worker has led her into her current role within Art of Protest. She explains the unique needs of individual children and how through a creative learning process, we see these young people emerge from their shells, learning more than just how to use a spray paint can, but how to make a mistake, how to grow their confidence, how to work with others, but most importantly, how to find their voice.
While we acknowledge there is a crisis in education in our last blog, as a team of creatives and multi-disciplinary professionals, we have highlighted that we are problem solvers and innovators. Creative learning is not just a vital part of learning and development for mainstream schools - it is also a critical component when dealing with vulnerable children and young people.
I bring over a decade of experience having worked as a senior social worker in England and as a senior child protection worker in Australia. My award-winning MSc dissertation, titled ‘How to Foster a Learning Culture in Children’s Social Work’ has academic parallels with Art of Protest’s 5’C model: Curiosity, Creativity, Confidence, Collaboration, and Capability. Most importantly, our approach stems from our Creative Director, Jeff Clark and his real-life experiences and shortcomings within the education system and tried and tested applied approaches in direct work undertaken with children and young people.
My passion has always been providing a child-centred approach and a platform for young people to be able to express themselves and tell their stories. As a social worker, I have supported some of the most vulnerable children within our society. From those who had experienced neglect, emotional, sexual and/or physical harm, and children who have been separated from their families, or experienced gang-related violence and exploitation. Understandably, these young people can have extreme emotional and/or additional needs, especially in a school environment.
Gemma at AOP’s Pride Workshops at SPARK in York
Within a social work setting, enabling young people to find their voice is rooted in relationship-based practice and often utilises art therapy approaches. Some children are often so traumatised or withdrawn that they initially would avoid making eye contact, or even speak. Some have special educational needs so it’s important to be perceptive and responsive to this, and assess and identify these needs, ultimately working with their strengths. My most profound and detailed disclosures were reliant on building a relationship with young people through play, painting, drawing and activities, such as “emotional Jenga”. While working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island families to develop cultural plans, it was central to have a ‘yarn’ (a chat) to facilitate a connection with each child to their culture and history and celebrate their individual backgrounds. We are all different and unique, and we must build a society that is inclusive and celebrates our cultural differences.
Gemma leading an engagement workshop in Sunderland
Art of Protest’s approach to creative learning provides a safe space and sound methodology to encourage young people’s curiosity and creativity. It also offers an iterative process to get participants collaborating with us and their peers, whilst building up their confidence and self-esteem. While spray painting is incredibly fun and exciting, young people also leave the workshops having learned new skills, as well as being more confident and able to express themselves and share with others.
Above all, using visual cues and artistic imagination helps to break down the barriers that direct language often cannot.
I have been blown away by how impactful Art of Protest’s Creative Learning workshops have been. They are driven by a carefully considered and curated ethos that shapes their delivery. Clear messages are provided about being able to make mistakes and knowing they are a completely acceptable part of the process, and something we all do and ultimately learn from. We instil confidence in young people by trusting them with spray paint cans safely. We guide these individuals to become capable of being creative both on their own, whilst learning how to work collectively as a group.
Gemma instructing an attendee at AOP’s Pride Workshop at SPARK in York
I have been privileged enough to see how powerful the workshops can be to get young people to open up and tell their individual stories. During our recent sessions at York High School, the Snook project “Find your Voice’’ with the Island charity, and the recent York Pride drop-in sessions at Spark, we have worked with carers, teachers and key workers, to create safe spaces, and we have seen profound results.
Within a short space of time, young people have been able to open up about recent bereavements through their creative expression. Other young people have talked about how their ADHD diagnosis has affected them and how we helped them feel more confident to be creative and capable of working with their peers in a more positive way. Many of the participants who engaged in our drop-in sessions at Spark have been young people with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and often struggle in a traditional school environment. Young people have been able to identify and celebrate their preferred pronouns during the recent Pride parade. I’m so pleased to say that many of these young people have now become regular attendees at our creative learning workshops.
The workshops are inclusive and we celebrate individual traits and see diagnoses as their superpowers. By using this open approach, we have been able to captivate the imagination of these young people. No one deserves to be left behind, especially the most vulnerable. We want to create spaces and opportunities to help young people express themselves through the introduction and development of curiosity and creativity. We also reach a wider audience through our community engagement events to help young people find their voice. We believe this is the start of something revolutionary with creative learning acting as a catalyst for real and tangible change.
This is an exciting time to fill a gap in educational provision through creative learning packages.
Gemma with her creative learning group at York High School
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If you want to learn more about what our Creative Learning Workshops offer, please visit our Creative Learning page.
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