What is More Inside Out?

More Inside Out was created to support young people, focusing on their well-being and enabling them to express themselves through art without necessarily having to find the words.

The thinking behind this, and indeed evidence-based research supports, is that Art is widely recognised as a therapeutic process across a range of mental health needs as well as a means of building a sense of community. In a recent Good Childhood report the focus was around young people’s fear of failure. Art activities, where you don’t have to be great at it and can have fun is a wonderful retort to fear of failure.

How does More Inside Out work?

The aim is to work with Year 6 students who will be transitioning to Secondary School and need a boost of self-confidence, may struggle with anxieties, have a fear of failure and/or struggle to express themselves. Furthermore, by working with Soulscape, the young people will start building relationships, making the link with Mind the Gap before and after the Summer.

More Inside Out is about building relationships with our young people, encouraging them to express themselves, helping them to feel supported and heard and creating a safe community.

We have seen the benefits as we met the students for Mind the Gap, during the summer schools and again in September at their new schools. It has helped students to process and express themselves and feel connected to others.

Young people who took part in previous years said: “It was very therapeutic and stress relieving, I really enjoyed it and had fun,” with one commenting: “We could express things through art that I find hard to talk about.”