Children’s Mental Health Week 5-11 February 2024
Concerns about children’s wellbeing and mental health have grown over the past few years, and the data suggests that this concern is more than justified: in 2023 20% of 8-16 year olds had a probable mental health disorder and 40% reported a deterioration in their wellbeing since 2017 (NHS Digital 2023).
Children’s Mental Health week is a national awareness-raising campaign that has now been running for 10 years. The theme this year is ‘My Voice Matters’.
Every week AT The Bus works with over 230 children and young people. We see first hand how young with complex needs can affect their ability to attend and engage at school. Working in partnership with schools, and using art as therapy, we work with children and young people to help them to articulate their concerns, speak out and be heard. They are supported to build strong relationships and to develop the resilience and independence that they need. At AT The Bus they learn and achieve.
“I don’t want the art session to finish; my heart is lighter when I am there” AT The Bus Student, Nov 2023
Our work is responsive to the needs of the children and young people we see each week. In light of this and within our provision we have been able to allow for some smaller groups and for children and young people to attend sessions for more than one term (as required).
We also ensure that we listen to what children and young people tell us they need from our work; for this reason we are setting up a new Youth Voice programme this spring. Here we will collaborate directly with young people to help us further develop our provision.
More detail about Children’s Mental Health week can be found here: https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/
ART AS THERAPY – The Beattie Method Manual
This year marks five years since the founding of AT The Bus and we are pleased to mark this milestone with the publication of ‘Art as Therapy – The Beattie Method Manual’. The Beattie Method is a unique therapeutic approach to working with children and young people; that was developed by Founder, Juli Beattie OBE, following decades long work with children and young people.
‘Art as Therapy – The Beattie Method is designed to be a practical manual, sharing the guidance of its compassionate, relationship-based approach that elevates young people’s freedom to express themselves openly in an inclusive environment. It outlines the building blocks of its supportive, empowering and creative ethos and defines the principles and practices that affirm every young person’s dignity…’
Extract from Foreword, The Beattie Method Manual The newly published manual brings together Juli’s work (with input from many colleagues and supporters past and present) and articulates our very special way of working with children and young people. ‘It helps me get better with art and boost my confidence. In here I am not as quiet as I am in school, I talk to more people, so it is helping with my relationships and friends and that helps me in school’ Student 2023
The Manual will shortly be available to purchase on our website for £35 plus postage. If you would like a copy now please email us at info@atthebus.org.uk and we can organise this for you.
New Studio
We have recently opened our sixth studio space at Sandhills Community Primary School in Oxford this month. With support from wonderful volunteers from Weston Williamson and Partners (architects who are working locally on the Oxford station masterplan), we have created a wonderful new theraputic space for children. The first day was a huge success.
The new Sandhills studio joins others at: Cherwell (on the Bus!), Greyfriars, Philip and James and New Marston schools in Oxford; and at Barlby and St Marylebone Bridge schools in London. We are also working in ‘pop-ups’ at a number of other schools to extend the number of children and young people that we are able to support. On top of which we also work in partnership with West London Zone at Brackenbury School in West London.
We are currently recruiting new staff and continue to plan the next stages of growth. If you know of schools that might be interested in our work please get in touch via info@atthebus.org.uk .
AT The Bus Exhibition at The North Wall, Oxford
Showcasing hundreds of works of art inspired by the theme “Me, Myself and More” we are delighted to be holding an exhibition at The North Wall Gallery in Oxford. Running until 10th February the exhibition comprises postcard-sized artworks that have been uniquely created and donated for sale by the children and young people from AT The Bus – as well as local, international and emerging artists. All the postcards appear together in a beautifuly curated, colourful hang. The “secret postcard” theme means our audience don’t know who they’ve bought until they receive their postcards when the exhibition closes.
The exhibition offers a chance to support AT The Bus enabling us to continue to offer art as therapy– and to raise awareness about the important work we do in schools. Please do visit The North Wall and take a look if you are able to.
Lyndsey Caldwell, Headteacher of Greyfriars Catholic School, Oxford, gave an inspiring talk at the opening evening on the 24th January. We particularly wanted to share this quote from her with you:
“Making art with AT The Bus makes our students feel rich. They make beautiful things, grow their relationships… and it genuinely enriches their lives. It brings creativity and love to our school.”
Lyndsey was so delighted by the exhibition that she has taken a group of her students to see their artwork in the gallery.
“We were delighted to take some of our students to see their art work created in AT the Bus on display at the North Wall Arts Centre. Not least because of the enthusiastic –and a somewhat unexpected– rendition of the Wheels on the Bus on the way there, but also because it was joyful to burst in with such joy, pride and excitement at seeing the exhibition. Our students were so pleased to see their work displayed in such a beautiful setting. They were so proud of each other and themselves. There were lots of conversations about their life as future artists and the further work they may want to do with AT the Bus to get their work exhibited in this way again. They were inspired by the setting, other art and the thought that others may have looked at their work with interest. We left discussing ideas for our potential return!”
Making a donation to AT The Bus
AT The Bus is now five years old. We are delighted with what we have achieved to date but have plans to scale up to support many more children and young people in the future. As a charity we rely upon grants and donations to fund our work. Art materials and refreshments are £5 per child per week. It costs £500 for a young person or child to attend our sessions for one term.If you would like to provide us with a donation, or have any suggestions for grant giving bodies to approach please do contact us at info@atthebus.org.uk or donate directly via Just Giving on our website https://www.atthebus.org.uk/support-us/. If you would like to make a donation we’d be grateful.
With all best wishes,
Juli and Maggie