More than 360 children and young people have discovered how arts and culture can improve their health and wellbeing.
The participants, including primary school children, teenagers, and young adults aged 18-24, took part in the ‘Express Yourself’ project, a six-week programme of arts and culture activities.
The project was delivered by Fenland-based 20Twenty Productions, thanks to £50,000 of ‘tackling prevention’ funding secured by Fenland District Council from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System.
The programme was aimed at supporting children’s and young people’s health and wellbeing through arts and cultural activity.
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Participants engaged in a range of activities including creating digital art, making Lego stop-motion animations, clay modelling, dance, making sensory caterpillars, shadow puppets and fidget toys, and playing music with Boomwhackers.
Rhianna Regan, a member of the 20Twenty Productions wellbeing team, said: “I think the Express Yourself programme was great.
“Using art to support young people’s wellbeing worked really well and meant that young people were able to access different forms of art that they wouldn’t normally get to access within school time whilst learning how to manage their wellbeing on a low-level basis.”
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Councillor Chris Seaton, Fenland District Council’s portfolio holder for transport, heritage, and culture, said: “The ‘Express Yourself’ project has been a fantastic opportunity for young people to explore how arts and culture can positively impact their health and wellbeing.
“This project highlights how investing in our children’s wellbeing through the arts can make a lasting difference in our community.”
The project received positive feedback from schools, with many pupils reportedly growing in confidence and becoming less anxious over the six-week sessions.
Katherine Nightingale, chief executive and creative director at 20Twenty Productions, added: “The outcomes of this project have been extremely positive; we are keen to develop this to sessions over a full term.”