HeARTspace
Unlocking Resilience through ART
HeARTspace is Spaeda’s dedicated school based, supportive arts intervention, that recognises making art as therapeutic practice, providing a safe and held space for children who need that time to develop their wellbeing and emotional resilience.
"HeARTspace art activities have, at their core, the theories and understanding of attachment, play and the held space"
HeARTspace has been developed by Lisa, our lead on delivery and Spaeda Director, and was inspired into being by her previous career as an Art Teacher and SENCO in a Pupil Referral Unit. "During this time, I bore witness to the remarkable impact of our art and creative curriculum upon the level of confidence, engagement and wellbeing of our students, many of whom lived within a state of emotional crisis and trauma"
The motivation behind Spaeda’s HeARTspace is to bring valuable experiences into schools, supporting children, young people, and their school communities.
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Who is HeARTspace for?
HeARTspace is for Key Stages 1-3 schools that recognise some students would benefit from dedicated time during the school week to explore their emotional world. In a safe, creative, and non-judgmental space, students can express themselves through the process of making art. Group size is limited to four to ensure all children are equally seen and heard during the session time, allowing space and time to build peer support between them.
What does HeARTspace do?
HeARTspace takes children through a supported emotional arc of creative activities, beginning with messy play to form bonds between the adult and the group, then transforming objects through paint and colour to generate canvases of colour and mark making to communicate emotions. Whenever possible, work is created to take home that day to build and share successes between home and school.
What does a HeARTspace session look like?
The session contact time is one hour, with a fifteen minute set up prior to the start, and fifteen minute tidy time prior to departure. Ideally schools will provide a room with a sink, but we appreciate this is not always possible. A weekly report is also produced, taking the session total to 2 hours.
Is there a cost for HeARTspace?
Yes, there is a session cost to schools. We do fund raise to support the core cost for this project to keep it as affordable as possible for schools and partners.
I would like to know more, who do I contact?
For further details and a confidential chat about HeARTspace possibilities within your school or education provision, please contact Lisa directly via email at lisa@spaeda.org.uk.
We look forward to working with you!
More info
Want to learn more about HeARTspace? Watch our 5min videos where the pupils, teachers and our project lead, Lisa Robertson, talk about its impact and why it's needed.
HeARTspace - What's it all about?