Amy writes about the benefits of art and craft. This post is a part of a series of thought-pieces loosely inspired by the music of our youth.
Passion is a very special thing. You can’t be given passion but you can have a little bit of help getting it ignited. A passion which is very popular amongst the young people at the YMCA Doncaster is Art and Crafts and there is much more to Art and Craft than meets the eye.
When you think of art, drawing and painting are some of the first things that come to mind. These activities can be very therapeutic and a momentary escape from reality. They allow us to express ourselves, be creative and pour our dreams onto the canvas.
Of course, drawing and painting is just scratching the surface of the capabilities within art and craft. Experimenting with different materials is very popular here. A previous project in YMCA Doncaster’s Art and Craft activities involved painting onto old record vinyls taking inspiration from the title of the record. Other materials include some beautiful cotton fabrics which were used to create a multitude of projects from bowls to textured pictures. The use of clay has been another popular material with it being used to create imaginative sculptures and pieces for board games. One group session was particularly interested in creating their own fidget toys which lead them to work with an array of charms to create interactive aspects to their art.
Team work within art and craft is something that we have been exploring in some of our activity sessions. Group projects such as ‘design your own board game’ have involved young people getting into teams and designing and creating their own board games. Once their board games were completed, the teams taught their game to their peers and they had a chance to play each other’s games. This project saw young people take huge amounts of pride in their work and resulted in a huge sense of achievement once it was completed. Another fun team bonding art and craft activity was the ‘build a bridge’ challenge where young people were given balloons, tape and 45 minutes to create a bridge from one side of the room to the other. They successfully completed this challenge but not without a few popped balloons and bridge collapses along the way. Exploring the collaborative processes within art and craft has meant that young people have gained confidence and experience in teamwork.
By creating the provisions for young people to have access to art and craft we are allowing them to explore their capabilities and find out what they are passionate about. When young people come back week after week to complete their projects and show them off with pride, they are proving that it’s fun to be passionate about something.
If you are interested in joining an art and craft session at the YMCA Doncaster then head to our Activities page.
