*NOTE: LAST FEW WORKSHOP SPACES AND KITS REMAINING - EMAIL [email protected] TO SECURE YOUR PLACE*

Why are we running these workshops?

Project Return is excitingly hosting a series of creative workshops to discover the care community’s needs in a through care and aftercare trauma resource. These workshops are co-productive and are for anyone aged 16+ with care and/ or justice experience and anyone who has or currently works to support this group.

What will these workshops look like?

Together the steering group behind Project Return, The Catalysts, decided to undertake these discoveries in a creative way and so we have commissioned ‘make your own print’ kits. These kits will allow you to easily create your own designs and make these into wearable pieces of art.

We have four themed workshops, for each you will be sent a creative print kit and a workshop guide in the post and if you’d like you can join us in a zoom workshop session, although these are optional.

1. Our Relationship workshop, asking ‘What would your choice of relationship look like at the through care and aftercare stage of the care system?’

Zoom workshop on Tuesday 13th October from 5.30pm until 6.30pm 

For example: If you have an experience of care this could mean being able to have a say in who your workers are or being able to bond with them over things you’re both interested in like football and attending a local match.  

And if you are a worker you might agree with the above.

2. Our Culture Workshop, asking ‘What should the culture look like at the through care and after care stage of the care system?

*By culture we mean the supportive environment in how through care and after care is run*

Zoom workshop on Thursday 15th October from 5.30pm until 6.30pm

For example: As a worker you might think you need more support and permission to bring your whole self to work or that policies need to be written for relationships being continued once young people move on.

And if you have an experience of care you might agree with the above.

3. My Safe Space Workshop, asking ‘What would a safe place look like for you at the through care and after care stage of the care system?’

For example: If you are either a worker or a person who has had experience of care then having a set place you can go to where you can feel comfortable and being able to choose where you meet your workers or the young people you support.

Zoom workshop on Tuesday 20th October from 5.30pm until 6.30pm

4. My Wellbeing Workshop, asking ‘What wellbeing resources would best support you and your relationships at the through care and after care stage of the care system?’

For example: If you are either a worker or a person who has had experience of care then you might feel doing fun activities with the people in your life, such as sports, and undertaking any self-care activities is something you’d like more of. If so what are these activities?

Zoom workshop on Thursday 22nd October from 5.30pm until 6.30pm 

How will the workshops give Project Return insight into the care community’s needs?

The kits come with a workshop guide to talk you through and inspire your print making. Within these guides there are a series of reflection questions which we ask that you complete and, along with a photo of your print, send these to Jenny (Project Return’s Development worker) via her email [email protected]. We will use what you send us to collate and analyse what Project Return needs to put at the centre of the trauma resource we create. And we will also combine everyone’s prints and make one big piece of art!

What will you gain from being involved?

• Learn a new skill in print making
• Get to be creative and have fun
• Get to design your own artwork
• Meet others with care experience at the zoom workshops
• Your views will be the first to be heard in the project’s development of a trauma resource

How can you get involved?

If you’d like to undertake this arty task and give us your opinions on what is needed in throughcare and aftercare then please contact Jenny Ferguson, Project Return Development Worker, on [email protected] or 07572201644 to be added to the waiting list, or to ask any questions you have about Project Return.