UK - CANTERBURY

Kent is often the first place of safety reached in the UK and is receiving adults, children and young eople fleeing war, persecution and increasing hardships on the France-UK border in Calais. 

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In late 2020, Art Refuge forged a working partnership with KRAN (Kent Refugee Action Network) to add to their offer of support for young displaced people living in Kent.  

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Most of the young people attending the workshops are remarkably resilient and are adapting well to their new lives in the UK. Some, however, may be experiencing various degrees of stress and other normal responses to their challenging experiences, exacerbated in some cases by Covid19 and by awaiting asylum interviews.

 

Others may have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and may be receiving mental health support in other settings. The facilitators are trained in trauma-informed approaches with awareness of the potential contexts and experiences that young people will bring, as well as the potential for young people’s experiences to impact on their ability to engage in projects / activities and build relationships with other young people.* The following will therefore be objectives for the group:

1. Emotional regulation through managing challenges within the art making and group setting

2. Absorption in an activity, focusing on the here-and-now

3. Distraction through the activity from intrusive / distressing thoughts 

4. Creating opportunities to build resilience through experimentation and risk-taking in the image-making 

5. Building on self-esteem & boosting confidence through encouragement and positive reinforcement from facilitators and group members