Being a student volunteer at Blue Cabin

Hi, my name is Noah Jutton and I am a student and a volunteer for Blue Cabin.

I have lived in Newcastle for just over three years, and I did an undergraduate degree in history and politics at Newcastle University and I am now studying a psychology MSc at Northumbria University. My aspiration is to go into child psychotherapy and for the next two years I am looking to get experience of working with a diverse range of children and individuals who may be struggling with their mental health.

Outside work, I am an avid sea swimmer (even in winter and in the North Sea!!), as my family are from Cornwall I find being by/in the sea reassuring and refreshing. Additionally, I am a big football fan and support my local team Bristol Rovers, (up the gas!), and Liverpool. Overall, I have loved my time in Newcastle and I have found this city and the people here so warm, in contrast with the colder climate up here. Honestly, Bristol feels like a tropical destination in comparison to the chilly North East, however, I find the communities of people up here so accepting and kind which makes Newcastle so much warmer than anywhere I have lived before.

My interest in art therapy began with my own art-making and my noticing that I find creative experiences uniquely therapeutic. This has led me to do my thesis on art therapy, which will involve interviews with art therapists to explore the relationship that forms between art therapists and clients.

My personal experiences with art and creativity combined with my research into art therapy has shown me the potential of art and creative expression for therapeutic experiences. My personal art creation is nothing like a professional artist’s, but what I love about it is that it is my own expression, my own release and I have found that this has become a rewarding and beneficial part of my life. I truly believe in the sentiment that everyone is an artist, and I think this is an important part of self-determinism and what makes us human.

From my interest in art and art therapy I discovered the work of Blue Cabin. Jenny and the team at Blue Cabin kindly carved out a voluntary role for me, and I feel very privileged to get to work with this great and interesting team.

So far, I have volunteered at an Arts Award Day which provided the opportunity for children to create and star in their own short films. The whole day was amazing and I found and saw that this experience was so rewarding for the children but also the adults that got to help out. I found myself an actor in one film under the strict direction of a 10-year-old, who had an air of Spielberg and Tarantino to them, yet they created something that was uniquely theirs. This bridges my belief that art and creative experiences are inherently therapeutic and a powerful form of expression that is not only beneficial to the artist but also to anyone involved in the creative process.

The work of Blue Cabin offers me an opportunity to see the positive effects that art and creative experiences can have on children and adults. I am fascinated by all of Blue Cabin’s work as it helps me understand the therapeutic effects of creative experiences and lets me be part of these experiences. Overall, I am very happy to be part of Blue Cabin and I am excited to be a part of the array of different projects that they are currently undertaking.

Thank you Noah for sharing a bit about your studies. You can learn more about Blue Cabin’s Arts Award days, which Noah took part in, here.