Wee art in the Wee Forest: A nature-based community art therapy pilot

Background
This project piloted a nature-based community art therapy group for families with 0-3-year-old children in collaboration between a medical practice and arts centre.

Context
The project took place in an area where families face challenges associated with high levels of multiple deprivations, alongside compounding negative effects from the pandemic on social opportunities and confidence.

Approach
The five-week pilot was delivered by two art therapists. Situated in a natural environment within an urban setting, it provided opportunities for families with young children to make art, play together and build social skills, whilst increasing the local community's sense of ownership of the outdoor space and their connection to the medical centre. Six families attended the sessions.

Outcomes
Families reported positive changes. We observed the children’s increasing confidence in playful explorations and social engagement with each other and with staff, and carers being able to be fun play companions. The visibility of the project generated curiosity, increasing interest in the outdoor space within the community. The project was supported positively by the medical centre.

Conclusions
The needs-led, local approach had clear benefits for the families, community and medical centre, creating positive partnerships to support young children’s play, development, and relationships, whilst encouraging early stewardship of the environment.

Implications for Research
The project was successful though small in scale. The medical centre saw positive outcomes and have chosen to continue the service, demonstrating the potential for gallery and NHS collaborations in future research. Expanding the pilot and using standardised outcomes would gather more evidence, further the case for early years art provision, and explore the role of art therapy in this collaborative, community, and nature-based context.

Plain-language summary
Wee Forests are small areas of wild tree planting in urban areas. A medical centre in Dundee had developed one of these Wee Forests. They worked with an arts centre to think about how it could be used to benefit families of young children and the local community. We ran a pilot of an outdoor, community (non-clinical), art therapy group for infants and very young children together with their important grown-ups. The groups met for five weeks and used stories, art making, play and connection to nature to bring families together in shared play, and the young children to develop their confidence to explore and play with other children. Caregivers said they noticed their children’s growing confidence, and that as parents they were able to be fun. We hope that the families became more confident in nature and that we may have encouraged care for their environment. We generated curiosity about the outdoor space from the community around the Wee Forest and we hope a sense of pride and potential for social change. The project is now continuing with the medical centre supporting further groups in partnership with DCA.