Art & Soul

Art & Soul is a program, which uses art as a way of exploring emotional responses and thinking that can lead to depression, anxiety and loneliness. Our 10 week program is designed in a unique way; each week commences with an overview of the relevant topic including; Identity, Core Beliefs, Guilt & Shame, Holistic Health, Loss & Grief, Connection, Emotions, Faith and Spirituality, Celebration and how it might be outworked in the participant’s lives. This follows with a 90 minute art lesson, (you don’t need any painting experience, we will teach you to paint) each session the art piece is built around the particular topic, this is followed with a further discussion around the theme in small groups.

There have been several studies, which indicate that undertaking a creative activity after receiving information helps a person process information better. By allowing time for the information to be processed while distracted by a creative pursuit, helps integrate information in a beneficial way. Each art project allows scope for individual expression and builds an environment of encouragement within the group.

Other Art & Soul programs have been developed to work with special groups these include: 

• ‘At risk’ youth and their parents
• Victims of family violence
• Prisoners
  
• ‘At risk’ teenagers and mentors 
• primary age students refusing to go to school
• refugee groups 
• traumatised families
• people with mental health issues  
• girls at risk of commercialized sexual exploitation
• Workers, counsellors and volunteers who are consistently exposed to traumatic stories

Each year a 2 week course is run in Chicago prison with inmates as an intensive program, and this year it will be run in Birmingham prison as well as a program set up in Romania to work with girls rescued from sex trafficking with Abolishion .