Exhibition of art therapy provides a window into the world of children in kinship care

Created from a note written and decorated with love hearts by a young child who had a difficult start in life, the sign, which was unveiled last week by actress Kate Dickie, takes pride of place alongside the work of famous painters in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery.

Along with many of the children whose art is part of the exhibition, the six-year-old had no confidence in his own creativity and threw the note in the bin.

It was discovered by Angela Bialek who leads an art therapy programme for children in a kinship care project.

These are young people being cared for by their grans, grandpas, aunties, uncles or other relatives because their parents cannot.

Some have had traumatic early years and unlike many other children have never had the experience of bringing a piece of art home from school or nursery for their mums and dads to stick on the kitchen door or on the fridge.

“Often these children don’t value their own creativity but in art therapy they are given attention which gives them a sense they are creative and just like their peers,” said Andrew Dawson, founder of the charity Creative Therapies.

It is a transformative experience for the kids, as can be seen from the work on show at the Kelvingrove exhibition.

Referring to the six-year-old's creation, Dawson said: “Anyone that has been loved by their gran will love that sign. It’s the sort of thing you can take selfies with."

WHAT ELSE IS THERE?

THE exhibition is a 20th-anniversary celebration of Creative Therapies, which was set up in 1996 to help children and young people through art, music, drama and movement therapies.

As well as the work from the current kinship care project there are pieces from children and young people with life-threatening illnesses and mental health problems.

“Some of it is just amazing and it has never been seen before as the results of the therapy are not usually presented to the public,” explained Dawson.

A lot of the work comes from children in the cardiology unit of Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for children, where it has been created in sessions with Sheena McGregor, director for hospital projects.

“There is some lovely stuff and the therapy has been of real benefit to their mental health and wellbeing,” said Dawson. “It is about celebrating their creativity rather than focusing on their illnesses.”

The sessions have been running since 2011, and are run by Creative Therapies and clinical staff within the unit.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

THE kinship care project works in Glasgow with children whose parents cannot look after them – usually because of substance abuse. Rather than being placed in the care of the state, these children are looked after by a close relative, often a grandparent.

While the children usually develop a close bond with their kinship carer many of them have had a difficult start to life and lack confidence, which the art therapy helps to build.

It is not a quick fix but the benefits can be long-lasting.

“I do find that over time we see an increase in their confidence and a better sense of self identity,” said Bialek.

“They become better able to handle difficult situations and they can relate to other people with more confidence in themselves. The therapy offers them a way of expressing themselves and any confusion they are feeling. It helps that they are with children who are in similar situations as it makes them realise they are not the only person in the world in these circumstances. Some of them have had very traumatic early years but we get good feedback from them about the therapy.”

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?

BASED in Glasgow, Creative Therapies works predominantly in the west of Scotland across a variety of settings which include health, social work, education and the community. All the staff are fully qualified arts therapists and the charity regularly extends its practice to work with professional artists, musicians and drama workers.

“The arts therapies offer a non-intrusive way of engaging with vulnerable and marginalised children and young people, enabling them to cope with life challenges, build resilience and self-esteem, and gain confidence,” said Dawson.

“Therapy based on creative activities is known to have a positive impact on health and well being, and can reduce anxiety and depression. Children are able to develop coping strategies, learn to understand and express their feelings in a healthy way and reduce their social isolation by learning positive ways of relating in groups.

“Importantly, social inclusion is at the heart of all the work we do and by forming links with more mainstream arts organisations, we encourage children and young people into art activities in their local area once therapy comes to an end.”

Sadly, says Dawson, art therapy is under-resourced in this country.

“There is just not enough of it around. The children we are talking about are quite often discussed as if they are problems. They all become cases or become patients, but they are all children and young people and if they think of themselves as problems all the time it has a really negative effect on their sense of identity.

“Art therapy works in sensitive situations to pay attention to the qualities of the children. It focuses on their strengths and their abilities and gives them a sense they are respected and their work is appreciated, thereby building confidence.”

IMAGINING HOW is an exhibition reflecting on 20 years of the work of Creative Therapies, It runs until September 25 at Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow.