What changed your life? (street arts outreach team edition)

October 18, 2017 8:38 AM

If you are or have been involved in delivering arts (in very the broadest sense of the word) activities for young people in an outdoor/outreach type situation, what are the tips, tricks and even (portable) arts items that have changed your life?

I've recently taken over running a street arts outreach team in a city in Scotland. Every thursday evening I go out with a Youth Worker and an artist (normally a different one each week) and we deliver a different arts activity for 30 minutes for young people aged 8 - 16 in four nearby economically and socially challenged areas. These have ranged from Parkour to mask making to collaborative drawings and temporary sculptures.

I've been involved in this programme as an artist for a long time, so I know the ropes in terms of engaging professionally with the young people and health and safety, as do my colleagues. What I am interested in hearing about are the creative tips, tricks and even (portable) arts items that have changed your life in similar situations. What have you found indispensable in this (or similar) lines of work? What do you never leave the office without because it always comes in handy? What are the surprising artsy strategies that help you do what you do?

Thanks!

posted by Chairboy to Media & Arts (2 answers total)

Best answer: I have teenagers who like to draw but who get frustrated with their lack of technical ability. I got a camera lucida from NeoLucida a few years ago and it's been wonderful how much the kids have taken it up. The first few times I had it out, I did a quick 5 minute portrait sketch of one of them, and that's all it took for them to get to "WOAH CAN I USE THAT NEXT?!"

It's quite portable and durable. I take it with me when we go camping, it's gotten rained on, snowed on, dropped, and repeatedly stuffed into a backpack. It has a felt-like carrying case that keeps the prism from getting scratched up. Those "original prism" format ones are just $55 now (scroll down at the linked page, they take international orders).
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 11:13 AM on October 18, 2017 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks late afternoon dreaming hotel, that looks completely awesome and and is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to discover. I just pre-ordered their new XL for $50. Am very much looking forward to taking that out for a session when it arrives!
posted by Chairboy at 1:29 AM on October 19, 2017