Our approach to our work is informed by Article 24 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights – The Right to Play.

Play helps all of us, child or adult, to forge our relationships, push our limits, create our internal landscapes, and imagine the world we would like to see and the person we might become.

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In addition we firmly believe that opportunities for creative expression are fundamentally important in life and that everybody should have regular access to them. Being able to play, create art, express ourselves creatively and collaborate on creative projects improves our mental and physical health, reduces stress, creates a sense of belonging and allows us to  express our individuality. The more we create, the more skills we learn, the more ideas we bounce off each other and explore, the better our prospects for personal development, social cohesion and employment.

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We value each person we work with as an individual. We are constantly amazed and delighted at the wealth of ideas, the creativity and the talent our participants share with us at every session and event we organise.

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We strive to meet everyone where they are, learn about their needs, strengths and interests and provide the best possible experience for them. We encourage and celebrate everyone's work and contributions and we actively work on breaking down any barriers that people may face to being fully included.

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With regards to working with children we are guided by the three overarching principles of the United Nations Convention for the Rights of The Child, namely – Protection, Provision, and Participation:

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Protection

Our staff have DBS checks; we provide public liability insurance, and all activities are risk assessed on an ongoing basis both as part of business as usual and in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have trained first aiders. We are vigilant about bullying and encourage kindness and mutual support.

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Provision

We are committed to promoting inclusivity for youth from all backgrounds, and to providing a worthwhile service to the local community, and as such we are mindful to make our activities both content-heavy and accessible to all children regardless of culture, race, socio-economic standing or gender identity. This means that where we can we seek funding to provide regular sessions free of charge. We always seek to use accessible venues and we take the lead from the service user, their parents or carers regarding any additional needs or challenges they face.

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Participation

In addition to making sure our sessions are safe, worthwhile, and accessible, it is part of our policy to consult regularly with our participants and their caregivers to ensure everybody’s needs are being met. We do this both on a formal and an informal basis. We aim to target our work and plan our activities to fit the needs that service users, community members and those working in the community tell us exist.

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When we work with adults, our ethos is the same. We strive to make our sessions as inclusive as possible. We actively cultivate an atmosphere of warmth, support and encouragement. We make it clear that any form of racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, body shaming or discrimination on the basis of age, ability or socio-economic status is entirely unacceptable.

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