At Arthouse Cafe, we are passionate about creating a space for people of all ages to grow in, experience & enjoy creativity. With this project, we want to engage children & young people who currently are not afforded these experiences and give them the best start in their creative life to reach their full potential. By providing these sessions, children & young people will have somewhere to go in the city in their free time, subsequently reducing antisocial or risk-taking behaviours and making our neighbourhoods an even better place to call home. Our sessions will engage children & young people outside of a digital world and help them to develop new skills which they can take into their future careers. We have an ideal space that is flexible and can offer a variety of mediums such as letterpress printing, ceramics, painting and textiles. By using our city centre location, we will be encouraging families back into the high-street post-COVID and subsequently boosting our local economy.

What we'll deliver:

• Weekly workshops for children & young people with refreshments from April - July 2023
• Engage with local organisations & schools to identify those who would benefit most
• A marketing campaign promoting our programme & the wider benefits of developing our creative skills
• If overfunded, we will host an exhibition evening at the end of the programme for all families to attend

Why it's a great idea:

Our project will provide a number of great benefits for the city of Chester and surrounding areas by achieving the following outcomes: • Provide a safe space for children and young people to explore and develop their creative skills in their free time, thus reducing antisocial and risk-taking behaviour and making our neighbourhoods an even better place to call home • Providing a wider creative learning experience for children, that schools may not be able to offer. We believe that art gives children a form of expression and a deeper understanding of Art Culture which can develop confidence and self-esteem • Welcoming children, young people and their families back to our high-street post-COVID and reinvigorating the arts and culture scene

Steps to get it done:

• Identify & engage with local schools & organisations to identify children & young people who would benefit most
• Create a programme of activities covering a variety of mediums and skillsets
• Launch programme and accompanying marketing campaign
• Review attendance and feedback on a monthly basis and adjust programme if necessary