Back in March, lockdown went into effect in Scotland. With it came the immediate withdrawal of support from various quarters. As specialists in therapeutic arts interventions, we knew this could be catastrophic for the physical and mental health of our vulnerable participants. We had to act promptly.
Emergency funding allowed us to set up a programme of remote therapeutic arts and storytelling. We delivered packs to homes to give our participants a chance to stay in contact and keep up their creative pursuits.
Summer Themes
Our summer theme was summer! We made art work based around nature, the sea, and the tropics.
Throughout lockdown, Bazooka supplied high quality materials, support via Zoom-along sessions, text and phone support, and the Cluster app. Cluster is a wonderful way for everyone to share their work and give each other support and encouragement via comments. This platform also helped parents to engage and interact with their children, giving them much-needed focus.
Keeping In Touch
Delivering remotely has its challenges, but it also allowed us to identify the support that a whole family can benefit from. It has also made it possible for us to link people up with other services: food banks, bereavement support and more. Critically, we kept people ‘on radar’ with regular and consistent check-ins which allowed us to quickly identify and act on any concerns.
Our Learnings
This experience has provided ideas for the future. We’re always thinking about how we can continue to work effectively with all age groups, identifying any potential gaps and filling them as best we can. As the situation continues to develop and evolve, so do we.
Our Supporters
We would like to give our special thanks to the following for supporting this important work:
- Scottish Government Wellbeing Fund
- The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland
- National Emergencies Trust
- Foundation Scotland
- CORRA Foundation,
- The William Syson Foundation
Find Out More
Our Volunteer Coordinator, Kirsty, will be speaking at The Bold Collective’s Creative Connect this Tuesday, 15th September.
Join us to learn more about about how we’ve supported our participants throughout lockdown! Book your free place at this link.