Wildly Different's Additional Activities
Tribe of Doris Intercultural Summer School
This trip transports a diverse multicultural/faith group of 0 to 18 year olds and their families away from their urban environment to 'Tribe of Doris Summer School Camp' arts, creativity and cultural experience.
The programme includes creative art, wild swimming, dance, drum, song, poetry, spoken word, story telling, art, yoga and music-making from around the world, ensuring that particpants will never be a passive observer, but rather part of the beating heart that is the Doris community. It was okay to just watch but no one did!
The children, young people and families gain:-
- Knowledge of different art forms and new creative skills they can develop further in the future
- Basic camping and survival skills including fire making, cooking and healthy eating
- Increased connection and knowledge of their own and others cultures, faiths and backgrounds
- A sense of belonging - feeling part of the bigger picture, inclusive family of diverse cultural groups.
This experience promotes opportunity to:-
- Explore, be wild and engage in activity they wouldn’t normally do
- To experience a memorable exciting holiday they could imagine going to again.
For more information, click here.
Heroes on Horseback
Heroes on Horseback day out took a group of refugee women, children and young people from Heroes Women’s Group in inner city Bristol to The Little Grange Riding School on the outskirts of Bristol. Adults and children were offered the opportunity to conquer fears and try out something different through learning how to care for, treat and eventually ride a horse. It helped encourage positive relationships and participants “made new friends”. It also gave participants the chance to get out into nature, one parent citing “it was great to get out of the city into the fresh air”.
“One mum told me she had been terrified when she first got on the horse but by the end really loved it.”
Staff feedback
“I feel because I learn new things and I conquered my fear.” Young Person
Seasonal Days
Imayla have also started hosting a series of Seasonal days to encourage children, young people and families in more urban environment to have an appreciation, awareness and to be able to participate in celebrations of the seasons and the gifts they have for us all. The last event was called “Apples and Ancestors,” during the Autumn, where families, children and young people were invited to take part in a days celebration involving pressing apples for juice, story telling, lantern and kite making finishing with a procession around the park.
The Tempest
Imayla were offered the opportunity to team up with artist Luke Jerram and the Arts Council to take part in his latest art installation. “Withdrawn” was being used as a backdrop for a performance of The Tempest, by the Butterfly Theatre Company, consisting of disused boats situated in Leigh Woods, Bristol. Aiming to attract and engage a wider and more diverse audience, the Butterfly Theatre Company worked with Imayla to provide a workshop for participants before settling down to watch the performance on a warm summer’s evening.
"I felt that the performance was so much more interesting as a direct result of the Imayla group being in the audience. We were very happy you were with us and would love to work with you again in the future." Butterfly Theatre Company.
Foster Care Fun Day
A celebratory annual city wide event for children in care, foster children and their families. All the supporting organisations join with the families for a day of arts, music, food and dance. Imayla provides creative art and music workshops. It is a chance to meet up with old friends and make new ones and above all, celebrate the lives of children and young people who may have faced difficult times.
Family Summer Camp
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...
A volunteer led experience - this was a great opportunity for culturally diverse families, young people and elders to spend quality time together camping by the sea in the Gower, Wales. It was a chance to learn about cultural differences, share life stories, try new experiences and build on new and old friendships/relationships.
The activity was inclusive fun and varied for all ages, they included beach art and games, swimming, communal cooking, coastal walks, storytelling, cozy chats and singing around the campfire.
Parents said they enjoyed the extended family experience in the great outdoors away from inner city life.
“The environment was calm, my children could play freely, safely… with a community, family of support. This was the first time for me to go to a place of unknown people. I was scared at the beginning … I learnt to be more patient, listened to my children and learnt how important team work is, so much more is done when you can do it together”. Parent.
Freedom Fields
Freedom Fields’ mission is to promote long-lasting change for children in foster care and support for those caring for them. The project offers therapeutic weekends, working within a rural setting less than 45 minutes from Bristol. There is an emphasis on outdoor activities, shared meals, therapeutic group work and community work ethic. Participants attend two outdoor weekends through the summer offering the opportunity to develop and strengthen their relationships with one another whilst promoting placement stability. Freedom Fields has now developed into an independent organisation.
“It’s bonded us as a family.” Carer
“The weekend’s been a godsend – I’m going back refreshed.” Carer
“We loved it!” Child
For more information, click here.
Vocalise 4 Change
As part of Bristol Green Capital, Imayla worked with local inner city young people, aiming to inspire them to think about what “nature” and their environment means to them. Opportunities were provided for young people to start writing and develop their performance skills via:
- Music and photography workshops
- Creative writing to generate lyrics and songs
- Local radio training sessions
- Local radio broadcasts
- Opportunities to perform and spread their words!
I was rounded up with a celebration at the Planetarium where many participants had not been before for a showing of the images, words and music from the project and the showing of the Blue Marvel film, specially made for Bristol Green Capital 2015.
These experiences helped increase their understanding of and their relationship with nature. How to care for it, appreciate it and better understand how it cares for them and all that lives on earth! Those involved experienced enhanced knowledge of how to care for their environment, an increased sense of ownership and respect for outdoor spaces and raised confidence to voice opinions.
Families in the Wild
You can read more about Families in the Wild by clicking here
Bristol Walking Festival
Imayla took part in Bristol’s annual Walking Festival by designing a Treasure Quest that took place in Narroways, St Werburghs and took participants to some great views over the city, finishing at Boiling Wells for hot chocolate, marshmallows and snacks around the fire. The walk was a great success and involved 75 participants, a mixture of children, young people, all in family groups.
Getting Out There Training
GOT - 'Getting Out There' has provided the opportunity for play/youth workers, teachers, social care, health and engagement workers or anyone else interested in developing skills and confidence to incorporate outdoor opportunities into their offer for children, young people and families. This has been run out of town to support capacity to run residentials although there's always been discussion of away days and being outdoors in the city.
In 2014 and 2015 we delivered an out of town residential experience at Embercombe land based learning Centre
In 2016 we are delivering ‘Getting Out There - closer to home’ responding to requests from last year's evaluation and to recognise the plethora of fantastic green spaces for getting outdoors across the city, and that although residentials offer deeply significant and valuable experiences at this time of tight resource costs can be prohibitive.
More information about our residential training can be found here.
Conferences
We participated in the following conferences over the past three years, delivering presentations and workshops and just taking part! All to farther the opportunities for an increasing enthusiasm and growing evidence base on the importance and value of getting out there!
Year 1
- Workshops at British Mountaineering Council - Equity Conference
- Co-promoted Project Wild Thing Film night with Co-Resist
- Project Wild Thing Swarm
- Inter-cultural Summer Camp Consultation Conference
- Avon & Wiltshire Positive Behr Support Network 'Challenging Behaviour and connecting to Nature
- 'Wild About Play' event at St Werburgh's City Farm
Year 3
- Think Family
- Race Equality in Nature
- Learning Everywhere