Workshop Schedule

Showcase

DATE: March 29th
TIME: 11:00 - 13:30 (Rehearsal), 13:30 - 15:30 (Concert)

VENUE: Brian Friel Theatre, 20 University Square, Belfast BT7 1NN

Art For Change is a 2 month programme empowering youth to address an issue affecting their mental health, through a chosen art medium and to share story of change and their art work publicly to drive social change. The programmes fosters Social and Emotional Learning, intercultural connections, and activism.

Art For Change 2025 is designed and delivered by Design For Change Northern Ireland, eduSOIL and funded by Arts Council Northern Ireland and supported by Queen's University Belfast, School of Arts, English and Languages and Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility Directorate.

Check out projects from our previous programs to hear from our participants directly!

Art For Change

Hear from founder, Juanita Rea, who was interviewed during Good Relations Week 2024!

Design For Change Global Movement

Art For Change is part of the globally awarded Design For Change (DFC) movement. Since 2010, DFC has empowered 2 million youth in 70 countries to be changemakers using our globally acclaimed FIDS framework (Feel, Imagine, Do, Share) to take action on issues they are affected by. Youth-led projects are aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and nurture youth wellbeing, leadership skills, intercultural connections and artivism. Participation in our programme enables further involvement in global youth leadership opportunities.

Art for Change will empower young people (8 - 15 years) in/from Northern Ireland to:

FEEL: express their views about issues affecting their mental health and the consequent mental health challenges they face; learn self-reflection, mindfulness and positive affirmation strategies for self-care that help them nurture their mental health; identify an issue that bothers them that they want to take action on as a group

IMAGINE: brainstorm a way to make it better; choose an artform through which they address the issue as a group

DO: learn Design Thinking strategies to take action on an issue affecting their mental health through an art medium of their choice; develop skills in chosen art media; work as a team to complete their project; prepare a presentation and display for the showcase event

SHARE: publicly share their artwork to lead social action by encouraging audience response, action and involvement to further address the issue; inspire others to say, 'I CAN'!

FIDS Framework

Our holistic programme develops young people as individuals and as contributors to society. It aligns to the curriculum across Key Stage 1 - 4 by enhancing personal management, communication and collaboration skills of young people through:

• Participating in The Arts Learning Area

• A Learning Experience that offers choice, is enquiry-based, media rich, active and hands, skills integrated and culturally diverse

• Fostering a range of key Attitudes and Dispositions that include: personal responsibility, concern of others, moral integrity, tolerance, respect, flexibility, self-confidence and self-belief.

• Assessment of Learning that is enabled by sharing of clear intentions, shared success criteria, advice and support for improvement, peer and self-evaluation and celebrating success in a culminating showcase event.

References

https://ccea.org.uk/learning-resources/big-picture-curriculum-primary

https://ccea.org.uk/learning-resources/big-picture-curriculum-key-stage-3

https://ccea.org.uk/learning-resources/big-picture-curriculum-key-stage-4

Key Stage 1 - 4 Curriculum Alignment

There are 30 funded spaces for youth (8 - 15 years) from immigrant, asylum seeking, refugee and vulnerable backgrounds, with numerous sign up options:

• Parent Sign Up Option 1: Parents can sign up their children individually, discuss with other parents to form a group of 5 and ensure that every group is supervised by a mentor who is 18+. The mentor can be an older sibling/relative, trusted adult and will oversee transport, attendance etc.
  

• Parent Sign Up Option 2: Parents can sign up their children individually and we will place them in groups and connect parents so they can decide on transport and mentorship arrangements.

• Community Organisations/Groups Sign up: A coordinator identifies 5 youth and submits their names, age, gender, ethnicity. Then they send the form for the parents to give consent and provide further information regarding dietary needs. The coordinator can also join as the mentor, or assign one. The mentor (18 + years) will coordinate and supervise travel, attendance and participation in the programme.

• School Groups Sign up: The School identifies 5 youth and one mentor, submits their names, age, gender, ethnicity. Then they send the form for the parents to give consent and provide further information regarding dietary needs. The accompanied mentor can be teachers/staff, parents (18 + years) who will coordinate and supervise travel, attendance and participation through the programme.

• Sign up as an AluMentor: This is specifically for Art For Change Alumni who participated in our 2023 or 2024 programmes to develop their leadership skills by mentoring new participants throughout the programme. AluMentors support their group members use the FEEL-IMAGINE-DO-SHARE steps to take action on issues affecting their wellbeing, just like they have done in the past. We will present Art For Change AluMentor Certificates at our showcase that will include the total number of community service hours..

We Provide

• Workshop Materials ie. workbooks, stationery, art materials, participant access only website, text-based support

• Personalised attention. i.e each group will have only 5 youth with 1 mentor and will be supervised by a team of professional artists

• Coaching and guidance by socially-engaged artists who we recruit, train and conduct safeguarding checks on. This team is led by eduSOIL/ DFC NI Founder/CEO, Juanita Rea.

Shared Investment

The cost of the programme is £400 per youth OR £2,000 oer group of 5. Your investment is your trust, time and participation. We have only 30 slots! Don’t miss out!

We are recruiting 4 artists as follows:

• musician

• visual artist

• actor, poet/spoken word artist

• multidisciplinary performer

Artists will need to submit their:

• artist CV's

• an example of their socially engaged artwork

• experience of working with youth

• DBS check

• a motivation statement.

Artist Application

eduSOIL is an award-winning, international, arts, wellbeing and education social enterprise addressing the global mental health crisis through trauma-informed, intercultural community arts, youth leadership, yoga and mindfulness programmes and products. Since 2011, we have nurtured the innate creativity, compassion and resilience of 16,000 primarily black, asian ​and underserved people in 11 countries.

Together with our funders and partners, eduSOIL is delivering Art For Change, our arts-based, youth wellbeing and social action programme that is part of the globally acclaimed Design For Change (DFC) movement.

Our funders are Arts Council Northern Ireland and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) who is also our key delivery partner with significant in-kind support (venue, equipment etc) through the School of Arts, English and Languages as well as continuous mentorship and support through the Performance without Barriers Research Group where Juanita Rea (eduSOIL Founder/Design For Change NI Director) is based as a Visiting Scholar. Our programme is also funded by Queen's Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility Directorate who support initiatives that benefit asylum seekers and refugees across the University.

About eduSOIL

Corporates, businesses, and individuals can invest in the well-being, artistic development and civic leadership skills of our youth by:

• Sponsor participants packs that include avatar-personalised superhero t-shirts, journals, mugs, tote bags and learning materials. Preview here!

• Sponsor a group to attend the Be The Change Celebration in Dubai this December.

Email northernireland@edusoil.com to know more about how to to invest in arts-based mental health support for underserved youth.

Social Responsibility/Sponsorship Opportunities