Using visual arts practices to build resilience with disabled young people with communication needs this project aimed to use visual mediums such as digital imagery, video, painting and printmaking as learning tools to use with young disabled people. Background

National research showed that many disabled young people find the transition from childhood to adulthood the most stressful, and often the most negative, period of their lives (Williams 2003; Heslop et al, 2002). The need to improve transition arrangements for disabled young people and achieve the right to be included in mainstream society and opportunities, was firmly placed within the context of national legislation and guidance (Valuing people: A new strategy for learning disability for the 21st Century, 2001; Quality Protects Programme; National Service Framework).This project’s focus linked closely with the aims of the children and young people’s Community of Practice (CoP). By directly involving disabled young people in the strategic development of Resilient Therapy (RT) and through the use of visual art practices we plan to find new innovative ways to improve the health and well being of a marginalized group of young people. The Project

Unlike the CoP the project explicitly included children and young people in the development of RT. The project expanded the partnership between Amaze and the University by working with the School of Arts and Communication to exchange expertise. It also developed and innovated RT activities to work out how best to apply them in practice. The project extended the role of the Transition Development Worker to implement the project.

Focused activity with young people was developed in parallel with the shared practice developed within and by the wider CoP, as it establishes a common language, ideas, tools and frameworks for applying resilience research and RT to practice across the region. The project provided access to a community context, within which to explore the application of visual art knowledge to help young people build their resilience. Impact & Outcomes

The project outcomes were linked with those agreed by the CoP and the overall SECC programme that was under development at the time. Young disabled people who were involved should now have:

Increased self esteem and confidence
Increased friendship and community networks
Increased ability to self advocate through visual arts practice
Developed creativity and visual art skills
Identified the areas of resilience they wished to develop

Mutual learning, sharing and dissemination

Weaving this project into the CoP extended the opportunity for exchange of knowledge and skills across the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex, three schools within the University of Brighton and 11 different statutory, community and voluntary organisations in the city. Staff from the FE Link College will have increased their knowledge of RT, increased their skills using visual art practices, and have direct experience of working with a community organisation and the University. Partnership Information

University Supervisor

Alice Fox, Senior Lecturer Arts & Communication, Faculty of Arts and Architecture, University of Brighton

Community Supervisor:

Kim Aumann, Director ART Amaze

Project Worker:

Sue Winter, Transition Development Work Amaze