All Aboard will provide free weekly Saturday Art Club activities at The Point in central Doncaster. We believe that all Doncaster children and young people should have equal access to high quality arts, creative and cultural activity, regardless of ability or need. Doncaster’s Disabled children and young people have fewer opportunities locally, and we know from talking to parents, teachers and the young people themselves, that there is a demand for regular opportunities in community settings. Artists will use a range of artforms including drama, music technology, songwriting, percussion, print making and sculpture. Our approach is person-led, meaning that each session responds to the needs, interests and abilities of young people in the room. Artists design sessions so there is lots of choice for each child, and all have the opportunity to succeed. The Point is very easy to access via bus or train and the building is fully accessible with a Changing Places facility.

What we'll deliver:

• Plan and deliver at least 20 high quality weekly Art Club sessions at The Point
• Engage at lease 50 Disabled young people in creative activities that develop confidence, independence and communication

Why it's a great idea:

All Aboard will benefit Disabled young people in Doncaster and their families. By attending The Point on a regular basis, families can feel welcomed, with their needs catered for - the building is fully accessible with a Changing Places facility and staff are trained in Makaton which uses speech with signs (gestures) and symbols (pictures) to help people communicate. Parents and carers tell us that it can be incredibly challenging to take their child to community settings and they face many daily hurdles. The Point is a public building and once children feel comfortable there, and get to know the staff, they are welcome at any time to use the cafe, see the exhibition or meet friends there. The more people who visit The Point, the more dynamic the area will be, which in turn will benefit local businesses and organisations - particularly our neighbouring cultural venues like Cast and Danum Gallery. We will also recruit local volunteers to support the project who will gain skills.

Steps to get it done:

• Collaborate with local artists to design the programme
• Book the room for weekly Saturday Art Club activities
• Engage with families with Disabled children to talk about the project, get feedback and spread the word
• Design flyers and posters that meet the needs of our audiences
• Marketing campaign across the whole of the borough e.g. flyers in Special School book bags, social media, press etc
• Start delivering Saturday Art Club sessions at The Point
• Focus group with families to get feedback about the project so far - use to design next phase
• Evaluation after each term of activities - Case Study to promote impact
• Final evaluation at the end of the project

darts has been running creative opportunities for Disabled children and young people in Doncaster for over 30 years and will build on this learning and understanding to deliver this project. We know that our approach works and have seen amazing things happen when young people participate in creative activity. For example, a child who rarely speaks will build confidence and start singing into a microphone, to the surprise of their parent, a young person who initially doesn't want to join in will soon be suggesting song lyrics and beating out a rhythm on their drum. By using Makaton to communicate, young people are able to put their thoughts and feelings across more easily and can take the lead in decision-making, becoming more independant as a result.