YOUNG people from Action for Children's Kingfishers @ Ebley Project got creative at an arts weekend.


ARTiculation, held at Manchester Metropolitan University, gave young people the opportunity to learn new arts based skills through varied workshops whilst improving their communication skills and making new friends at the same time.


Six young people from Kingfishers @ Ebley in Stroud took part in the weekend along with nearly 70 other young people from across the UK, who are all supported by Action for Children.


They got the chance to get involved in a range of workshops including visual arts, dance, singing and drama.


The young people who came to the event were from a variety of backgrounds, with disabled young people, young people who have been in care and also young people who care for sick or disabled relatives all working together during the weekend.


Kingfishers is a supported housing project for 18 to 25-year-olds with learning disabilities based in Ebley.


It enables young people to develop independence and manage the transition from adolescence to adulthood.


The ultimate aim of a young person's placement at Kingfishers is for them to develop the skills that will enable them to live in their own home within their community with minimal support.


Ruth Baldwin, arts initiative manager at Action for Children, said: "The ARTiculation weekend is a fantastic opportunity for young people - many of whom have faced tough challenges in their lives - to come together to be creative and learn new skills. Many turn up feeling shy and don't know what to expect, but leave with new experiences, new confidence and more importantly new friends."

One young person who attended ARTiculation said: "My confidence has built a lot. If anyone else was thinking of going I would say 'don't think - go!' You won't forget it for a long while."


Since it began in 1998, hundreds of young people have taken part in the ARTiculation initiative and is just one of a range of arts initiatives which the charity actively encourage children and young people to participate in. 


Art creates a platform for children and young people to creatively express their views and ideas through different mediums.