We use creative arts as a vehicle for long lasting and holistic change. With a focus on personal empowerment and transformation, our formula is totally unique and can be life changing!

The ICU creative arts programmes are multi-dimensional and concentrate on the whole person. Pupils are encouraged and supported to take control of their lives and we equip them with sustainable strategies so that they can move forward with a healthy mindset and attitude.

“I’ve learnt to express myself in different ways like writing. I’ve also learnt to communicate better and think about the way I speak to people.”
Lauren, a pupil on our creative arts programme for looked after children and young carers at Shenley Court School. 

Creative arts can:

• Help us develop our communication and thinking skills
• Improve our self-confidence and self-esteem
• Encourage a positive environment in which we learn to value ourselves and others
• Empower us to make positive choices
• And help to boost general academic performance.

Nine out of ten pupils respond positively to the behaviour interventions provided by our programmes. And as a result, schools have reported huge improvements in pupil behaviour AND in their academic work.

Identify, re-engage and improve

Creative arts workshops can help us to identify the causes of challenging and disruptive behaviour, to reduce behavioural and emotional problems, decrease truancy and exclusions and re-engage pupils at risk of exclusion within the schooling system.

They help children and young people to understand and express their feelings, build their confidence and emotional resilience – and this hugely improves their capacity to learn.

A true story

A 14 year old girl was underachieving, withdrawn and clearly very unhappy. She was placed onto our Healthy Living Programme where she responded well, especially to the interactive activities. During a creative writing exercise, she wrote about how her father was abusing her. As a result, she had developed an eating disorder and was self-harming and having suicidal feelings.

We spoke to the Headteacher about our concerns and Social Services were informed. The pupil is now in foster care and has become an extremely happy and stable child, excelling academically! That young girl had been at the school for four years, and yet had never confided in anyone. It was the power of one of our creative arts programmes that allowed her to open up so that we could find help for her.

Thank goodness she didn’t slip through the net. For us, there is no bigger prize than that!

Find out more about our approach and see if you qualify for a free assessment and consultation.