Children in Sheffield will have the opportunity to develop their skills alongside professional artists as Ignite Imaginations, a participatory arts charity, re-launches their Everyday Stories Art Club.
This programme is part of the BBC Children in Need funded initiative to broaden aspirations, increase confidence and develop participants creative and communication skills. The participants, aged 7 to 12, will explore art techniques around the theme of ‘What Makes Me, Me’.
Through Everyday Stories in 2020, 340 children in Sheffield benefited from fun, engaging activities that helped develop visual arts and creative writing skills and to ignite their imaginations. The variety of artforms used in Everyday Stories sessions is a great strength of this project, with activities including journaling, clay or decoupage ensuring every participant can find something new and something that captures their interest. Participants are encouraged to create final products and furthermore to make things that can be displayed or used at home, and which encourage play beyond the session. This really helps instil pride and confidence, especially for those children and young people who attended multiple sessions.
Luisa, CEO Ignite Imaginations said “Every year we look forward to our Everyday Stories sessions, we know from previous participants, artists and partners what a difference they make to the young people involved. I’ll always remember when one participant’s carer said, “Normally my daughter can’t leave the house on Saturdays, but I’ve told her that its art club and because she has enjoyed them, she has managed to get dressed, leave the house and enjoy the session.” That is the difference we make and why we are so passionate about the work we do in the communities we work with”.
Current sessions are being held each Saturday afternoon from 1:30pm – 3:30pm at Darnall Library, where activities are being led by Ignite Imaginations Artists Kate Sully and Jessica McMillan. These include making diary entries in a variety of art forms featuring collage, ink splats and written drawings.
Further Everyday Story sessions are planned for the new year, in different areas of Sheffield.