As part of their creative learning programming, Findhorn Bay Arts have been working with groups in and around Moray on projects which focus on creativity as a route to building connections and encouraging mental wellbeing.
Recently Ruby Worth, a creative practitioner who works across the forms of dance, movement, theatre, education and therapy, has been working with young people on embodied learning programming as part of the Youth Arts Small Grants Scheme for Moray.
Working with a colleague Mhari Baxter, also a Dance Movement Therapist, we evolved the programme design as we went, paying close attention to the voices of the young people to determine how best to engage their interest, energy and invite in their experiences.
“Within the sessions we asked the young people to reflect on the usefulness of breathing techniques, yoga poses and other mindfulness exercises in their daily lives.
We became movement researchers exploring how different ways of moving made us feel, see and imagine.
We connected to ourselves and each other through shape-making, trying on power poses and mirroring each other’s movements.
We explored props, parachutes, ribbon sticks, bamboo canes to connect us together.
We shared how we were feeling, made talking sticks, offered stories of the pandemic and hopes for the future.
We discovered that everyone liked the lights going off and relaxing on their yoga mats in the darkness listening to music.
There were many discoveries.”
