ARTiculate Presentation –

CYPNET Meeting

James HughesMental Health Project Manager

Outline: - Who are Community Focus?

What is ARTiculate?

ARTiculate’s taster sessions

ARTiculate’s project launch

Suggestions for working together

Who are Community Focus?Community Focus (CF) is an inclusive multi-arts centre based in Barnet and have been active for over 30 years.

We work to encourage members of our community of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to participate in the arts, to gain confidence and to challenge barriers through integration and innovation.

As an inclusive organisation, we are receptive to the needs of our community. We remain flexible and open to new partnerships.

We have developed long-standing relationships with artists of the highest calibre. Many of our artists are Royal College of Art (RCA) graduates.

Community Focus1st Floor, Friary House,Friary Park, Friern Barnet,London, N12 9PQ www.communityfocus.co.uk

07948 111 748james.hughes@communityfocus.co.uk

What is ARTiculate?

Mental and emotional well-being/ mental health issues…

Young person completed registration

form (or an outside agency can do that for them) and meet Mental Health Project Manager

Meeting discusses issues including interests in art, how they feel ARTiculate

may help their mental health, clarify expectations and provide reassurances

Start their 8-session project in art - learning

new skills, making new friends, working and communicating

together

Graduation/ Celebration Event

‘Move On and Move Up’

Key Partners (so far)

Barnet and Southgate College

Accreditation and Social Enterprise

Eclipse Barnet (MIND in Barnet, Richmond Fellowship and Barnet Centre for Independent Living)

Provision of counselling, self-help groups and mental health awareness and training courses

‘Move On, Move Up’So essentially these key partners allows ARTiculate and Community Focus to offer a wrap-round service, accreditation and social enterprise opportunities to young people.

ARTiculate will also be offering: -

Mentoring Scheme (volunteering) - other ARTiculate young people

ARTiculate Youth Forum

Representation on the ARTiculate Project Steering Group

Generic promotion of opportunities to young people, e.g. volunteering with Barnet Centre for Independent Living, or education, training and employment opportunities

Advantages of ARTiculate’s approach For professionals: -

1. Professionals can refer too

2. You don’t need a clinical diagnosis. We work under a wide-definition of mental health issues

3. Key to ARTiculate is a group work approach and wanting to learn a new art skill

4. ARTiculate will be working with 240 young people over 3 years; through twenty 8-session projects

To be attractive to young people: -

1. Is a self-referral project

2. Learn a new art skill that you chose

3. ARTiculate will be happening near you

4. Taking a ‘group-work’ approach

How can I sign up or sign some-one up to take part in ARTiculate?

Self-referral i.e. contact James

Professional can refer young people into ARTiculate as well

Contact James to access referral forms (they will be ready in 2-3 weeks)

ARTiculate Taster sessions 1st session – Barnet Homes – “Know How” Youth Conference

on the 26/07/2014. The kind of art work will be t-shirt printing

2nd session - World Mental Health Day with the Multi-Wellbeing Services (details TBC)

Further taster sessions to be announced

ARTiculate Project LaunchDetails to follow!!

Food and drink available. Different artists doing different kinds of art work.

Music to be played. Event will be on Facebook and Twitter

You are welcome – will be publicising soonSpecific info closer to the time

Suggestions for working togetherOperational: -

Cross-refer young people

Please use me as a resource, e.g. to come to youth groups to do talks on what ARTiculate is

Strategically: -

Joint funding bids

Share outcomes, e.g. engaging young people creatively using the arts

The increase focus on youth mental health, e.g. increase in the last 12 months of young people accessing A&E due to self-harm issues in Barnet

Partnership development and service ‘buy-in’, e.g. able to use youth club venues, commission ARTiculate to do a project with young people in specific areas

Community Focus’ social enterprise arm - Gold Dust - www.communityfocus.co.uk

Any questions??

James HughesMental Health Project Manager

Community Focus1st Floor, Friary House,Friary Park, Friern Barnet,London, N12 9PQ

- 07948 111 748- james.hughes@communityfocus.co.uk

www.communityfocus.co.uk