An immersive training day to share insights, reflections and experiences of how creative practices can expand and enrich how we understand belonging.
From Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination. Supported by the National Lottery Community Fund. Presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts.
Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination (CCI) is an arts and well-being charity founded in 2007. They are a creative organisation that works to inspire and enrich communities across the region. Though children and young people are at the heart of all their work, they design ways for people of all ages to develop their own curiosity and imagination by inviting them into playful environments and giving them the permission to express their own ideas.
Full information and free booking
About the event
On Wednesday 29th October 2025, Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination will return to Storey’s Field to co-host an immersive, creative, training experience that will build knowledge, skills and understanding of how elements from Artscaping can help us enrich and expand how we understand belonging across our diverse settings.
What is Artscaping?
Artscaping is an established arts-in-nature programme, with a growing body of research-led evidence underpinning it, that supports creative learning, mental health and well-being. It places creativity and imagination at the heart of a practice that connects children and communities to their local environments and landscapes. The practice has been co-created with artists, children and young people, and those who support them by arts and well-being charity Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination.
As we all know, the prevalence of mental health disorders in children and young people has risen from 1 in 9 in 2017, to 1 in 5 in 2023, with the mental health gap between the poorest and wealthiest children increasing. Substantial benefits for well-being are derived from contact with nature, however children now spend less time outdoors and are less well connected to the natural environment. Artscaping goes beyond traditional forms of arts (e.g., drawing) towards an experiential connection with nature, bringing positive impacts for everyone involved – children, young people and the adults who support them.
“Don’t worry about starting, it’s fun and there are friendly people… And don’t worry about not being good at it, just try. I’ve been surprised because I thought I wasn’t very good at craft.” Tobias, 6 years old.
“I got a lot from this work. I felt like we were really caring for families, not just showing them a website or putting them on a waiting list.” Lynda, family support work.
“This has helped me to take a moment for myself.” Jade, primary school teacher.
Work with Fullscope and Cambridge Acorn Project
Artscaping is an integral part of the work of Fullscope, a consortium of organisations united by a vision of positive mental health for all, but especially for children and young people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Parts of the programme have been delivered with family therapy charity Cambridge Acorn Project. Since the programme began in 2016, we’ve learnt how Artscaping can enable communities to become safer and more supportive places for children, offering an early intervention strategy for emerging mental health concerns and support for children who may not be eligible for other programs.
“I spend most of my day thinking where am I going to get help for these children. The need is so high. The link between CCI and CAP is really positive. The parents really notice and appreciate it. They come and thank me and say this is just what their children need. It fills me with joy to talk about it.” Stella, SENCO lead.
This day has been planned to explore ways in which the Artscaping practice might be relevant to colleagues in the wider system supporting children, young people and their communities.
The day
40 delegates will work in small groups with CCI artists and CAP therapists, receiving support in designing principles and practical steps to act upon in the following weeks. The evidence base for the work will be highlighted by our academic colleagues, and a concluding plenary will gather reflections from across the day.
Delegates will experience and reflect on how creative experiences can open up how we understand and support belonging.
Each delegate will receive an Artscaping reflective guide and be invited to join a series of follow up work-in-progress webinars for ongoing support and learning. In addition, delegates will participate in the evaluation of the event, from which findings will be shared with every participating organisation.
This Creative Exchange has been made possible through generous funding from the National Lottery Communities Fund. The support allows us to offer each place at a heavily subsidised rate of £25. Bookings can be made on the Eventbrite platform through this link:
Image (C) Gabrielle Arenge 2024
