Kick Arts: Partnership project to re-engage school refusers

Charlie Henry, lead artist on the Kick Arts project explains how she has been working with the Pitt Rivers to re-engage school refusers:

"OYAP Trust have been working in partnership with the Pitt Rivers Museum to deliver our project, Kick Arts, which aims to re-engage school refusers with education through weekly experiential arts workshops tailored to their interests.

Kick Arts Workshop © OYAP

We aim to cultivate curiosity, openness, resilience whilst nurturing independent learners who have a 'why not' attitude to trying new things. During our project the young people experience creative challenges, surpass their expectations and surprise themselves by making interesting and emotional work.

Over these 12 weeks we have taken a heroic trajectory into the arts! The museum’s annexe has been transformed into a hive of creative energy with activities like – screen printing, photographic challenges, multi-dimensional map making, painting, drawing, melting crayons, writing poems, creating performative art experiments, thinking, singing, problem solving, rapping, laughing, playing and talking about culture and art.

Painting outside the Museum © OYAP

Through the arts the young people have been taken gently out of their habits and comfort zones and have encountered new possibilities. During our time together we've appreciated what makes us all who we are.

Every step of the way Andy and the Education Department have supported us and mirrored our 'yes let’s' attitude, rolling up their sleeves and getting involved whenever they could. Not to mention the mountains of our stuff which they have tirelessly moved around the museum.


Finding Inspiration in the Pitt Rivers © OYAP
  

But most importantly the residency at Pitt Rivers has provided us with a safe space to explore and discover more about the world around us, which in turn has enabled the young people to connect on a deeper level to their own internal worlds. It has been a nourishing and transformative experience for all involved. Thank you all for looking after us so well and for continually having a 'why not?' attitude to all our strange requests.