ARTiculate Young People and Wellbeing Arts Programme

Monday 9th January 2017 at 9am 0 Comments Youth Arts , Arts & Health

Image: Domino 2, a project led Youth Actions Northern Ireland's Rainbow Factory is just one of 15 programmes to receive support in the initial round of ARTiculate funding

The Young People & Wellbeing Arts Programme is a new initiative by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. It aims to improve the health and wellbeing of young people at risk across Northern Ireland. The Arts help give young people a voice, to articulate their story and in the process to achieve greater personal wellbeing.

It is a three-year programme jointly funded by the Arts Council and the Public Health Agency (PHA), with a total programme budget of £600,000.

The programme:

• uses artists and the arts to give a voice to young people at risk
• engages young people in custom-made creative activities
• uses the arts to challenge any stigma, prejudice and discrimination associated with mental health and wellbeing
• supports help-seeking behaviour by participants

The programme is delivered by
• artists and professional arts organisations working in partnership with youth and community organisations
• Protect Life Implementation Groups within the Public Health Agency which work across the five Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland.

Key benefits

The Arts are recognised for their ability to improve:

• self-expression
• self-confidence
• self-motivation

The programme uses these attributes as tools to address young people’s health and wellbeing.

Participants can expect to benefit from the wide range of positive outcomes associated with improved health and wellbeing, including:

• increasing opportunities for  young people at risk to engage with the arts
• finding positive channels for self-expression through the arts
• learning new creative and communicative skills
• experiencing a reduction in tension and stress
• making new friends and connections
• discovering a renewed sense of purpose in life
• developing an improved attitude towards mental health
• expanding awareness of the support that is available
• beginning a life-long interest in the arts and creativity

Programme grants

Grants are available to constituted and voluntary groups working with young people and currently contracted by the Public Health Agency.

Projects must be able to demonstrate fit with the programme targets:

• improve the emotional physical and social wellbeing of participants
• enable participants to express opinions or feelings using arts-based methods
• realise improvements in wider services for young people with mental health issues
• empower communities to take a pro-active role in promoting mental health and wellbeing
• reduce stigma associated with mental health and wellbeing
• support and promote help-seeking behaviour amongst participants

Funding for training and support for artists is also available.

Further information is available by contacting the programme co-ordinator, Lorraine Calderwood, E: lcalderwood@artscouncil-ni.org