All ‘Maker Mondays’ should start with a game of Buzzy Bees so that’s exactly what we did! The group could think imaginatively and move actively, playing outside and having lots of innovative fun.
This led us into a morning based on mental health and wellbeing. We wanted to make sure we were creating a safe space for young people to learn and explore the topics. We introduced the concept of the 5 steps of mental health and wellbeing; give, connect, be active, keep learning and take notice. The group shared strategies that helped them with their own mental health and well-being and we talked about how the 5 steps will be implemented throughout the programme.
The cohort then took part in a ‘Catastrophe’ workshop. The concept of this workshop is for the young people to learn about the differences between our thoughts, our feelings, our physical reactions and our behaviour while gaining an understanding of how these things can become connected. The young people threw themselves into the exercise, exploring what happens to themselves in moments of panic. They started opening up with one another, sharing their experiences and practising this awareness on some real-life examples. The young people also learnt about the ‘10 steps of mental health and wellbeing diagram’ and how this strategy can be used to help achieve goals in everyday life.
We then ran a ‘Care and Creation’ workshop in the afternoon which helped the young people focus on topics which they felt passionate about. This was an active exercise where the young people were asked to walk around the room stopping at different topics written on the floor. The cohort talked to each other about the different topics and as the exercise went on it became clear who shared the same passions and interests. Based on the outcome of the exercise, the FLP groups started to form focusing on four different key themes; mental health, animal protection, equality and diversity in education.
It was then time for the young people to try their hand at some new technology. The girls learnt how to use ink scape and practised using the vinyl cutter, laser printer and digital embroidery machine. We created a space for everyone to fearlessly try something new, learn from mistakes and build up ideas.
For the last workshop of the day, the young people learnt how to use Sphero robots and based on the shared interests of the new groups, the young people designed and built cities out of recycled materials for the Spheros to be raced around. The cities needed to have a name, and three laws and landmarks which linked to their shared interests/values. This was a really tangible way for the groups to start thinking about their Social Action values and think creatively as they engineered their own 3D cities.
Our Foundations for the Future exhibition is now OPEN!
The exhibition charts 29 years of KWMC, exploring how ideas have grown...
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Be transported back to the 1970s as community cable returns to your TV screens this summer. MADE in Bristol...
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