Thornbeck learners take part in 'From All Walks of Life' art project

A volunteer artist visited Thornbeck College this week to support our autistic learners to take part in an art project, as part of a national campaign calling for changes to the law around mental capacity assessments.

The campaign was started by Fiona Laskaris following the exploitation and murder of her 24-year-old son, Christopher, in Leeds in 2016. Fiona is calling for families to be able to request a mental capacity assessment for vulnerable loved ones when they are concerned that they may be being groomed or exploited.

The art project gave learners the opportunity to express themselves through art while also learning about the importance of safeguarding, awareness and collective action.

The artwork was inspired by the artistic style of internationally renowned artist Mackenzie Thorpe, who is a patron of the North East Autism Society, and used shoes as its main theme.

The mixed-media creations were produced on square cards, with the shoes symbolising people moving forward together through a shared experience, as well as reflecting the message behind Fiona’s campaign by highlighting that disability hate crime and mate crime can affect vulnerable people from all walks of life.

Jane’s involvement gave learners the chance to participate in a creative activity while helping to spread an important message about protecting vulnerable people.

What learners gained from the project:

· Creative skills – Learners explored mixed-media art and developed their own ideas using different materials and techniques.

· Self-expression – The project gave learners a way to communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideas through art.

· Awareness of safeguarding – Learners were introduced to important messages around staying safe, recognising potential exploitation and protecting vulnerable people.

· Understanding of social issues – The project helped learners engage with issues including disability hate crime, mate crime and the importance of supporting vulnerable people.

· Communication and teamwork – Learners shared ideas, worked alongside others and took part in a collective creative project.

· Confidence and participation – Taking part in the project provided opportunities to build confidence, make choices and contribute their own creative ideas.

· Being part of the community – By creating artwork connected to a national campaign, learners were able to contribute to a wider conversation and share an important message beyond the college.

· Making a positive contribution – The project showed how learners can use their creativity and individual voices to raise awareness of issues that affect people in their communities.

The project provided learners with an opportunity to create, communicate, learn and contribute, while showing that everyone can play a part in raising awareness and helping to create positive change.