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THE NEXT GENERATION
PIVOTING IN DANCE EDUCATION
ARTIST PROFILE
USING THE ARTS TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER
BY STACEY GREEN CO-FOUNDER OF FREEDOM FOUNDATION AND THE TIRED MOVEMENT WWW.FREEDOMFOUNDATIONUK.ORG
The various pressures our young people are under in the age of social media are wellknown. A 2017 Young Minds study found the prevalence of 5-15 year olds experiencing emotional disorders (including anxiety and depression) had increased by 48% – from 3.9% in 2004 to 5.8% in 2017. Freedom Family Ltd was co-founded by Laura Grant and myself in March 2017 with the aim of improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people throughout Nottingham. We deliver creative programmes which introduce children and young people to the performing arts as a way of increasing their self-esteem, resilience and confidence, whilst supporting them to learn new skills and unlock hidden talents. Our programmes provide essential education which helps children to understand the risks of inappropriate online choices and reinforces the positive benefits of using technology to express themselves.
Stacey Green © The TIRED Movement
24%
... OF BOYS AND GIRLS SAY THEY FEEL NEGATIVE ABOUT THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY DO NOT LOOK LIKE THEIR FRIENDS
58%
... OF BOYS AND GIRLS SAY THEY HAVE FELT JEALOUS, NEGATIVE OR INSECURE BECAUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
We began delivering programmes in a number of primary schools across the city as an after-school provision, but we quickly recognised that the message of improving mental health and wellbeing was being lost. There were many factors for this, but ultimately we knew how important it was to raise awareness about the impact social media was having on young people, and that in order to reach as many children as possible we would need to offer our programmes free of charge. We therefore made the decision to become a social enterprise so that we could reach more schools, build a better understanding of children’s mental health and enable partnership working.
