Art Work
Our Work
Born: 2000 | Coming to VA since: 2017 | Artforms: Drawing, textiles
Proudest VA moment: “Getting my artwork into the Lowry. And my work placements at Royal Exchange Theatre and Elizabeth Gaskell’s House”
Sally is a regular participant at Young People’s Art Club, our programme for 8-18s. She has a rich imagination, a detailed, delicate drawing style, and she works with focus and determination.
Sally also has a thirst for learning about history and literature, and a passion for the Victorian era. Last year she completed a 16-week Cultural Enrichment placement with VA at the Royal Exchange Theatre, with fellow Art Club member Ben. She sampled ushering and working on the information point, learned about special effects in costume, hair and makeup, and got the chance to be transformed into Queen Victoria for an afternoon.
The placement was a huge boost to Sally: “I have noticed that my confidence has improved a lot and my communication skills are now great… I am also happy that I made a great friend too.”
She has recently completed her second Cultural Enrichment placement, at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, where she made another good friend in placement partner Sarah.
Having opportunities to make friends is particularly important for our younger participants. One third of learning disabled young people spend under an hour outside their home on a typical Saturday. Almost 50% say they want to spend more time going out and with friends (Mencap, 2016).
Sally has really benefited from the social side of coming to VA. She recently told us “I used to have not many friends but now I have lots of really kind friends, who I talk to lots in my free time.”
We’ve seen Sally’s confidence soar since she’s been with us, so much so that she was happy to be interviewed on live TV for BBC Children In Need’s appeal night in 2017. Her mum says of VA: “She has done things she would not have believed she could do … She really wants to be independent and Venture Arts always supports her in doing this.”
