Gone are the days when children were supposed to be “seen and not heard”. But there are still many expectations and assumptions about childhood. Very different ones now. Children are supposed to be cheeky, playful, fun-loving, even naughty. Quieter, more unsure, polite or serious children are thought to have issues. There are also many uncertainties and conflicting opinions around children’s mental health, the soaring level of children being diagnosed as having SEN, school absenteeism, exams & assessments, and children’s own sense of identity. Parenting is under constant scrutiny, whether young children starting school not toilet-trained, or the endless debate over smartphones and social media use. Then there ate other pressures – around 1 million children in the UK are believed to be young carers.
Reflecting on all the many issues overshadowing childhood and adolescence has encouraged me to prepare a short course aimed at anyone who works with or cares for children and/or teenagers. “Becoming Creative: Sharing visual arts for wellbeing with children and young people” is a flexible course to use in your own time at home, setting out some of the different ways art can boost mental health and wellbeing in the young, and suggesting activity ideas on a range of themes – https://medley.live/children
Why should visual art and creativity have a contribution to make here? I see all the time how they can contribute to wellbeing in many different situations, so why not in youth…They can restore some kind of balance, allowing a child or teenager to rediscover some spontaneity and adventure in the everyday. They’re practical activities that can help reduce screentime. They’re active, productive and varied, and so provide an outlet and expressive voice. And at a time when arts education is under particular and constant threat as budgets get ever more squeezed, sharing arts and crafts with children in any setting at all is more important than ever – whether that’s in therapy, youth clubs, playschemes, care settings or at home.
There are 5 words I use a lot in my work to highlight the different ways visual art can boost wellbeing for anyone, and each fits wellbeing in the young just as well. They are: root, ground, express, absorb and connect. Art can root children in life – instilling a feeling of belonging, helping them explore and respond to a world they are still discovering. Art can ground children, literally creating a space where they can try to slow down and be in the moment, however briefly. Art can help them express how they feel, whether though colour and symbol or through words as well, in ways appropriate for different ages. Art can absorb children, helping build concentration, little by little. And art can connect children – with their peers as they share an activity that can and should be all about fun, not ability, and with adults, as they make cards or gifts to share or take part in community projects, like with care home residents, helping break down generation gaps.
Childhood can be a time of dependency, which many find frustrating or difficult. Creativity empowers children to put their own stamp on their lives and to experiment, hopefully away from set structures or expectations.
Medley 