Where the Art Is!

The Art Room is a pioneering venture in Oxford which works with 7-15 year-olds experiencing difficulties in school, to raise their self-esteem, self-confidence and independence through 'art as therapy'.

Children are chosen by their headteachers, social workers or pastoral care workers from primary and secondary schools in the area. Many have been bullied, some are at risk from permanent exclusion and others are asylum seekers or refugees who have found it difficult to integrate into their new schools.

Most children stay for one term, with a maximum of eight attending a session at any one time. The Art Room provides children with the opportunity both to discuss their feelings and experiences ('sofa time'), and take part in a range of artistic pursuits, from painting to craft work ('art time').

This provides the children with the time and space to voice their concerns within a safe and supportive environment, whilst encouraging them to experiment and be creative. Everybody is encouraged to use art materials to help process and understand their own feelings about school, peers, family and life in general.

The Art Room operates in small groups, typically of six to eight children with at least three adults to supervise them. The mood is positive and supportive, as teachers take time to reinforce the strengths of each child's work, praising them when needed.

An independent evaluation of the project has been looking both at aspects which can't be measured, such as the confidence and self-esteem of the children, and measurable outcomes, such as school attendance and the rate of exclusions.

The Art Room has been shown to improve the concentration and behaviour of children back in their schools. It has been noted that The Art Room's philosophy provides important lessons for specialist support units in schools and Pupil Referral Units. The organisation has current plans to expand to new regional centres in the UK, hoping to build on its initial success by tackling the longer-term needs of even more children.

Summing up the new-found motivation of many of the children taking part, one of the teachers at Oxford Community School says:

"The students respond positively to adults there, they have real purpose and pride in their efforts and they are relaxed and calm ... As they draw strength from The Art Room experience they seem able to cope better".

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