Good Practice: How a secure unit in Nottinghamshire used graffiti to improve the wellbeing of young people in its care
Friday, June 24, 2011
The Creative Partnerships project has helped young people at Clayfields House gain confidence and an appetite for learning
Project Creative Partnerships at Clayfields House
Funding £4,000 including £3,000 from Creative Partnerships
Purpose To boost the social and emotional wellbeing of young people in a secure children's home
Background
Clayfields House in Nottinghamshire is a secure residential children's home for up to 18 young men and women aged 10 to 17 who are either on remand, on sentence or on welfare orders. Staff were keen to improve the environment in the setting and, in particular, to tackle the blank and oppressive walls in the recreation area. So the home, which is managed by Nottinghamshire County Council, embarked on the Creative Partnerships programme delivered by Mighty Creatives, the young people's creative development agency for the East Midlands.
Action
Clayfields was the first secure residential unit to take part in Creative Partnerships, which is designed to inspire young people and help them learn through creative activities, usually run in schools. Running from May to July last year, it involved the creation of two large murals to bring life, colour and inspiring words to the previously blank walls. Young residents were involved from start to finish, explains Nicola Crook, head of art in the unit's education team. This included interviewing and choosing urban artist Pete Barber, working on rough designs and then creating the artwork. They also drew up an acceptable behaviour contract.
Crucially, the project got young people working with each other and with staff. "Often our young people have a history of not getting involved and may have been excluded from mainstream education," says Crook. "It also gave them an understanding of alternative career paths and the fact that you can use your creativity to gain employment. A lot of them admitted they had used spray cans before but for graffiti."
Outcome
"There were no incidents during the whole activity despite the fact it was quite a high-risk situation," says Crook. The overall atmosphere in the home has improved and young people have gained confidence, self-esteem, a sense of pride in what they have achieved and a new appetite for learning. All 18 young people involved in the project went on to gain GCSEs or other qualifications. The success of the project was recognised when it won the Kids Count "best creative contribution" award.
