We are very pleased to have been awarded a contract to deliver DAD4DADs, in partnership with Jasmin Vardimon Company, aimed at young people as part of the Six Ways to Well Being programme funded by Kent County Council and with investment from Artswork and the Royal Opera House Bridge.

The project aim is to improve the mental wellbeing of all those involved in the project through exploring the theme of DADs/fathers/fatherhood with young people through music, movement, drawing and poetry. Dads means biological fathers, stepfathers or a significant male figure. As well as exploring their relationships with their fathers, the young people will  explore the impact of the “male figure”, or lack thereof, within their lives.

The young people will grow their world and experiences through all 6 ways to wellbeing:

• connect by getting together with others and exploring the topic of Dads;
• take notice by being attentive to their thoughts and feelings about Dads;
• give by sharing their experience and findings with others through poetry, drawing and sound
• learn through working with inspirational artists
• be active through exploring the theme of Dads through movement
• care for the planet by recycling sound

The young people will explore the theme of Fathers/fatherhood with inspirational practitioners in workshops that deepen knowledge of the 6 ways to wellbeing:

Movement and sound to:

• explore emotion through movement
• use sound to bind power and unite

Drawing to:

• enable attentiveness to own and others’ feelings
• encourage conversation and listening

Poetry to:

• enable personal expression through writing and reading
• enable communication through performance (reciting)
• act as a stimulus for the movement and sound work

The practitioners are: Richard Bundy Sound, Luke Burrough movement, Greg Stobbs aka Sqirl drawing and Leah Thorn Poetry, and there will be a project film made by Ewan Golder.

Family systemics work underpins the project with systemic consultant, Jane James, leading an initial workshop for the practitioners and teachers and Diane Bundy, also  systemic trained attending all the workshops along wth Natalie PriorCounsellor MBACP (Accred) to support any situation that may arise during the workshops in the schools.

Natalie Prior  will  be introducing the 6 ways to wellbeing to the young people and teachers through out the project. We will also be looking for young people to be Well Being champions to champion the 6 ways in their own lives and help to get the word out to others.

Natalie says “Working with children and adolescents for six years within the NHS has given me a solid foundation in which to explore many experiences that are  brought to the table. As clinical lead for my department I was always looking to explore different ways of meeting young people’s needs, this project strikes me a one that will fulfil that criteria.”

A book will be produced from the project that will be placed in the 6 ways to well being area at Dover Library. It will be visual, with drawings by Squirl and students he has worked with, and poetry from the Poetry workshops led by Leah Thorn.

The project is structured with events and opportunities that Arts Award candidates can use towards their Award.  One of these opportunities is for  50 Arts Award candidates  to go to the Jasmin Vardimon performance of Park at the Marlow Theatre in Canterbury on October 15th 2014, with their fathers (significant male).

The project culminates on November 22nd 2014 in Dover’s Market Square, Library and Discovery Centre as part of  the Dover Town Council’s  Christmas lights pre switch on programme . There will be an open ongoing workshop in the Dover Discovery centre with the practitioners and the well being champions  will be out in the Market Square spreading the word about the 6 ways 2 well being.