During the Easter holidays, young carers in Winchester participated in a multi-arts project.

Part of Create’s national art:space programme, the project, which is funded by British Land and delivered with Whiteley in Fareham, is for young people aged 8 – 18 who attend Winchester and District Young Carers.

During school holidays throughout the year, the young carers collaborate on artwork in a variety of art forms, guided by Create’s professional artists. In the Easter holidays, the young people worked with Create’s photographer Tracey Fahy to take photographs centred around the theme of identity.

The art:space programme began in February, when the young carers made costumes with visual artist Belle Moore-Benham.

Later this year, they’ll be making music with musicians Aga Serugo Lugo and Fernando Machado and animations with artist Maru Rojas. This range of activities is encouraging the young carers to develop a variety of interconnected artistic and technical skills, boosting their self-esteem.

There are over 700,000 young carers in Britain who on average take on 17 hours of caring responsibilities per week. Some care for more than 50. School holidays can be a difficult time for young carers. For many, without school’s daily routine, increased time at home equates to an increase in time caring for a relative.

The Department of Education’s February 2016 Report ‘The Lives of Young Carers in England’ states: “Holidays were particularly challenging for most young carers due to an increase in their caring responsibilities at home and the lack of opportunity to take breaks to engage in other activities both inside and outside the home.” The research demonstrated how “breaks from caring were seen positively by young carers as opportunities to relax and de-stress, enabling them to return to caring responsibilities feeling refreshed.

Young carers who had experience of young carers projects, outings and respite holidays were typically very positive about such opportunities to take a break away from home and to meet others in similar situations.”

Create’s art:space programme develops an environment in which both creative and social skills can be nurtured and young carers are able to come together to channel their creativity collectively.

By working together the young people develop their communication skills, build confidence and create peer-support networks. On Friday 2 June, the music workshops will culminate in a performance at Whiteley, and on Wednesday 14 June, a showcase of work produced in both the music and photography workshops will take place at The Vaults at Winchester University. Such opportunities to share their creative work serve to strengthen the young carers’ self-esteem and the supportive relationships developed during the programme.

Create’s Co-Founder & Chief Executive, Nicky Goulder, said: “Participating in creative activities is a great way of expressing yourself and socialising. School holidays can be a period of heightened responsibility for young carers and it’s important for wellbeing that respite is found away from their duties as carers.  Our inspired:arts projects offer an environment for self-expression, socialising, building confidence and having fun. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of their collaborative work!”

Centre Manager at Whiteley, Neil Carter, said: “Whiteley has been working with Winchester & District Young Carers and Create for three years. In that time, we have seen many young carers grow in confidence through the workshops Create arrange, and that in itself is reward enough. Our team, and retailers, have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of such a fabulous project.”

Create’s work with young carers has been the subject of an award-winning animation produced by Bournemouth University film students, as winners of the Kingston Smith 2016 Creative Vision awards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gvG1iO8d-s 

art:space Winchester ran on 11, 12 April, and will continue on 31 May, 1, 2 June, and 1, 2,  August.

Article supplied by Anna Bear