As parents we do everything to help our child’s self esteem, my eldest daughter (age 3) has always been very shy when in groups of people, so much so that when we went to a fireworks display last year she hid in the bottom of the pushchair, not from the fireworks but because she didn’t want ‘the people’ to see her. We try to encourage them to ‘get involved’ and start them with ballet, swimming or anything else that we can think will help build their self esteem but did you know that activities, especially arts-related activities, are important for so much more than just keeping your child busy? They?ve been proven to boost a child?s self-image.

I always have paper and pens available for the children (Aged 1 and 3) to use. I absolutely love to see what they come up with and their creativity is amazing! Using hand and foot prints as part of a piece of art is a beautiful way to remember just how little they were but it is also a great way for children to become involved in the creative process.

Using the arts or creative approaches when working with children and young people can often increase the range the activities, open up engagement in new ways of expression and enthusiasm and encourage children and young people to participate in ways that are exciting, fun and inclusive to all ages and abilities. There are no rights and wrongs when it comes to using the arts!

Lots of arts organisations are now working alongside statutory organisations to deliver key services for children and young people because art, drama, music, photography, dance and other art forms offer so many different forms of expression and can be used as mechanisms for consultation or for exploring topics in alternative ways.

The arts can offer pathways back into education, employment or training for children and young people who are disengaged from formal learning environments. The range of case studies here demonstrate the wide range of applications the arts can be used for from photography projects to help with local planning to issue based dance and drama workshops to enable children and young people to speak out about their own experiences.

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