Play and Create Gateshead

Primary-aged children and young people in Gateshead worked with professional artists to play, create and achieve Arts Award accreditation.

Over four days in the summer holidays, care-experienced children and young people experienced theatre, mask-making and pottery.

They worked alongside professional artists to invent characters and worlds from their imaginations, get an insight into creative careers, and find out about their local cultural venues.

Together, the group worked towards achieving an Arts Award Explore accreditation.

Read more about their Arts Award achievement>>

Mee Mee Theatre’s Worlds of Curiosity and Play helped the children and young people to:

• Build meaningful relationships with each other and with the adults in their lives
• Play, connect and experience joy together
• Think about their hopes and wishes for their futures
• Achieve an Arts Award Explore accreditation.

• The children and young people are all supported by Gateshead Virtual School
• Blue Cabin Associate Artist Pady O’Connor led theatre and mask-making activities
• Potter and ceramicist Becky Mackenzie helped the group work with clay
• Ben Jones from the Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead introduceed the group to their local art gallery
• The project is coordinated by Blue Cabin Associate, Alex Sayers.

Members of the group have said:

“It was the best thing ever.” 

“[I have learnt] to express myself through art.” 

“I loved it and would like to come again.”

Carers said:

“It’s great for their individuality, creativity, self-esteem, confidence building”

“She made friends, more confident, expressed herself in the project and came up with ideas. Non-stop talking about it at home.”

“The staff who run the project are highly enthusiastic, great with the kids, compassionate and just exceptional in what they do.” 

Participants described the activites as:

Fun, exciting, peaceful, amazing, enjoyable, interesting, entertaining, messy, brilliant, nice.

Arts Award Explore is a nationally recognised entry level qualification in the arts. It encourages children and young people to experience different art forms and artists, and develop their own creativity and confidence.

Find out more about Arts Award>>

Find out how your virtual school could support children and young people to achieve an Arts Award accreditation>>

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