‘Face It’ programme taster at Wac Arts College

When you think of violence, what comes to mind?

These were the opening words of our ‘Face It’ workshop at Wac Arts College. The workshop provided an opportunity for teachers, and members of our wider network, to experience some of the content and activities pupils engage with while on the programme. Together we explored the different types of violence and explored how personal value systems and past-experiences affect our behaviour and by extension that of the young people we work with.

"This taster session made me think about the past's effect on the future. We often see young people at the starting line of a race but we aren't always conscious of the fact that they've already run 3000 metres prior to the start of this race. This makes me think about how I respond to young people's journeys and how I assess their needs." - Teacher at Wac Arts College

The workshop was convened by our Director of Delivery Damian Castello. During the course of the morning Damian posed a number of thought-provoking questions to the audience including whether being in a gang gives people a sense of belonging. The teachers remarked on how the various activities challenged ingrained beliefs and stereotypes and informed our own understanding of why and how we react to statements. Ultimately there was a general agreement that the morning highlighted both how important safe spaces are for young people when discussing such topics but also how empowering, informative and eye-opening these activities are.

"This just highlighted how important these safe spaces are for young people." Teacher at Wac Arts