Kazzum Arts

Kazzum Arts provides opportunities for children and young people to explore their creativity at times in their lives when they are most in need of support.

We facilitate innovative, playful and multi-disciplinary projects which encourage social and reflective skills, enabling young people to foster positive relationships and experience an increased sense of wellbeing. Our projects lay the developmental and social groundwork for happier, healthier futures and are informed by an understanding of adverse childhood experiences and their impact upon child mental health.

Our diverse team of artist facilitators specialise in working with young people who have social, emotional and mental health issues, communication needs and physical impairment as well as those who are living with trauma, displacement or within areas of social deprivation. We think imaginatively and compassionately about the worlds of young people, using creativity to make memorable experiences that last well beyond childhood.

Visit our website to find out more - kazzum.org

 In response to Covid-19 pandemic, we've been working hard to protect and secure the future of our creative activities with children and young people. We have started delivering workshops with young people online, developed accessible resources and created a structure that will enable the organisation and its valued community to connect, create and thrive throughout this pandemic and beyond.

Our current online activity includes:

‘Young Voices’

We are conducting weekly online sessions with participants from our ‘Young Voices’ group from John Ruskin College in Croydon. Young Voices supports ESOL students aged 17-21 to develop vital interpersonal skills, build friendships and have fun in a supportive and creative environment.  Our facilitators Maria Askew and Paul Andrew have been developing online workshops which incorporate drama, relational games and space for connection, conversation and peer support, which will continue throughout Summer term.

‘Brighter Futures’

Our weekly ‘Brighter Futures’ sessions - co-delivered with Praxis Community Projects - have continued and even become twice-weekly opportunities for young people to connect online.  ‘Brighter Futures’ are a group of young migrants aged 18-25 who work to challenge negative perceptions of migrants through creativity.  We have been working with poet and facilitator Arji Manuelpillai to deliver these workshops and are creating poetry and visual arts which reflect different experiences of Lockdown and the impact of this time on the wellbeing of young migrants in the UK.

‘Art Classes with CARAS’

We were approached by our partner CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers) based in South-West London, to deliver some fun and engaging art classes for young people accessing their online services.  Our artist Amanda Mascarenhas has been delivering these weekly sessions, using drawing and craft to develop the skills and wellbeing of young migrants at home, which will continue throughout the Summer.

'Refugee Week’

The national programme ‘Refugee Week’ has moved now online for 2020, being principally observed during 15-22 June.  We have transformed our schools-based workshops to be suitable for online activity for teachers and parents to deliver with children remotely.  Two schemes of work for Primary and Secondary aged young people include creative writing, storytelling activities and worksheets, with the aim of developing understanding and empathy for displaced young people across the world.

We will also be launching our new animation 'Help them feel at Home' for KS1 students, which is currently in the final stages of production. We’ll let you know when it arrives!

‘Grounded’ - Animated resources

We have been creating a series of short animated resources to support young people’s wellbeing during Lockdown and beyond.  This series of guided activities has been developed with artists Robin Lane-Roberts and Tunde James and feature a range of activities to promote mindfulness, movement, relationships and relaxation.  Each animation will feature a short guide for professionals and carers working with young people, to support them to take part, and encourage dialogue around the importance of self care.

These animations will be sent as messages directly to participants of our project ‘BUILD’ which works with young people currently excluded from school at LEAP (Tower Hamlets’ Pupil Referral Unit).  We will start the release of these video resources during Creativity and Wellbeing Week on our social media channels @KazzumArts and through our website in the coming month.

Offline Activities

Many participants do not have easy and free access to technology which is why we are also working closely with our partners to develop work that can be posted home.

‘Who Run the World?’

Our artists Marie Horner and Kathryn Corlett have co-created ‘Who Run the World?’ - a colouring-in book for young women in years 10 and 11 who participate in our weekly sessions at LEAP (Tower Hamlets’ PRU).  The 44 page book features inspiring patterns and designs to colour, inspirational quotes from female leaders and prompt discussion points to support their reflective thinking and enhance the learning from our group.  Books and pens will be sent directly to the group, with a thoughtful message from our facilitators.

‘BUILD at Home'

For our work with Year 8 and 9 students at LEAP we have created a series of interactive resources which include puzzles, creative arts activities and reflective worksheets to support young people to engage with learning and creativity.  These are supported by short videos available on Google Classrooms which bring the activities into life and introduce DIY arts and crafts.

‘NHS Rainbow’

As part of our ‘Apollo’ project at Whipps Cross Hospital - currently a front line service for COVID-19 patients - our artist Jo Paul worked with paediatric play workers and local children via a neighbourhood WhatsApp group to create a huge rainbow thank you card placed inside Whipps Cross Hospital.