A Space To Be… Relaunches in November
A Space To Be…, the teenage wellbeing project based around creativity and museums will relaunch in September. This follows a successful application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for an extension to enable in person sessions to resume after a year running workshops online.
After lockdown there has been a huge increase in awareness of the mental health challenges which face some young people. This project, aimed at teenagers offers a kind, safe, non-judgmental space where they can unwind and have some quality time out while taking part in arts workshops. Inspired by Hertfordshire museum collections experienced artists have developed sessions which might be based on drawing, painting, creative writing, collage, and 3D work.
A Space To Be… takes place at St Albans Museum + Gallery. You will be inspired by St Albans Museum + Gallery’s exciting courtroom stories to create your own books, comics and artwork. We’ll be developing our responses to the tales through book making techniques using a range of papers, photographs, natural materials and drawing tools; you will learn simple, memorable skills in a welcoming and comfortable environment while exploring your visual and/or written responses to a fascinating range of starting points. No previous experience required; these sessions are suitable and adaptable for everybody.
Jane Glynn makes visual work about time and the nature of memory. She has an MA in Children’s Book Illustration and is currently working on a graphic memoir. She also develops participatory projects for museums, galleries and schools. Her collaborative projects are playful and open ended and usually lead to a mixture of whole group and individual outcomes.
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There is also an online group for those who either feel that meeting others face to face is not for them or who cannot get to one of the other museums. This group’s work will be inspired by the collections at Mill Green Museum in Hatfield and Watford Museum.
The group will meet weekly for nine weeks after school with the programme running from September/October to December 2021 and January to March 2022. Workshops include a break where the group eat together that provides a relaxed opportunity to socialise. In the spring next year each museum will host a celebration event where the young people can share what they have done with friends and family and display their work for other visitors to enjoy.
This is not a formal art class, nor is it art therapy. Most importantly young people don’t need to be ‘good at art’ to join in, everyone is welcomed.