A project with Lancashire County Council, working with young people, COMMUNITY ARTS by ZK was asked to produce a piece of artwork on the issue of child sexual exploitation. The aim of the piece was to draw the attention of and educate young people and raise awareness of this sensitive and serious issue.

 

This project, involved with The Zone, in Burnley, Lancashire, was delivered as a range of workshops that covered a variety of arts and crafts techniques, allowing young people to have a hands on approach to how they explored and represented this issue. 

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Working with young people from the age group 12 – 19 and also with young people with special education needs (SEN), a final piece was produced to illustrate the differences between a good relationship and a bad relationship, with an emphasis on making this message clear to all ages. The character, Tina, had her story told through the creation of different situations to educate young people about exploitation and grooming, and what a healthy and positive relationship is.

 

Every individual in the group contributed to the final art piece by working on a scenario. Each story was then put together, giving each participant a sense of achievement of the end product. The final piece is on display permanently at The Zone, Burnley, allowing for further discussion and thought about the issues explored within this project.

 

The purpose of the art piece is to increase knowledge of sensitive and serious issues through platforms which children are able to engage with, outside of formal education, through creative approaches to teaching and learning. The art piece will have a strong impact on people and encourage positive change.