Our Unique Approach
Kazzum Arts have developed a unique trauma-informed approach to creative practice with children and young people. Our creative projects provide the structure, boundaries and emotional containment which can enable children and young people to connect to the world around them.
Our programmes support children and young people to form creative partnerships with trusted adults and reflect on their experiences. Our engagement in the global movement of #aceaware schools, organisations and networks means that Kazzum Arts are at the forefront of delivering trauma-informed artistic approaches.
We are dedicated to countering the impact of childhood adversity and meeting the relational and creative needs of our participants in a more meaningful way than ever before. We do this through the delivery of projects, advocacy and training for professionals.
Our Approach:
Uses the Creative Arts
We offer repeated opportunities to experience a creative environment, enriched with music, movement, art, and games. We contribute to an increased sense of wellbeing and positive mental health through shared imagination and self-expression.
Embodies Relationships
We nurture connections between children, young people and artist practitioners, building bonds of safety and trust and encouraging friendship, support and empathy to flourish. We actively create an engaged community which nurtures, nourishes and supports.
Understands the Impact of Trauma
We deliver holistic and responsive activities guided by our knowledge and insight into the complexities of trauma. We understand the biological, psychological and social factors which can determine healthy child development, working to increase protective factors and support growth.
Recognises Systemic and Structural Factors
We recognise that trauma and adversity is reflected within environments, throughout
systems and across society, creating damaging conditions
of inequity. Our work actively amplifies the voices and lived experiences of children and young people and raises awareness of the issues that matter to them most.
Read more about our trauma-informed organisational approach in our Strategic Plan 2022-2026:
What is Trauma?
Trauma is a natural response to overwhelming, shocking or frightening experiences. The stress of trauma is often held within the body and can influence a person’s sense of themselves and connectedness to others. The recovery from trauma involves the restoration of safety, relationships, self-regulation and creativity.
“What happens to a person where there is either too much too soon, too much for too long, or not enough for too long.”
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) is the name given to traumatic experiences which happen in a child’s life before the age of 18.
First identified by the 1997 ‘ACES Study’ (Felletti and Anda), ACES have become internationally recognised and now are being used to inform policy-making and best practice when supporting children, families and communities.
The emergent field of ‘ACES science’ supports the understanding of toxic stress upon child development, building causal links between childhood and community adversity and life-long health and wellbeing outcomes.
What are the impacts of ACEs?
A child can experience traumatic events as out of their control and terrifying. They might not be able to process the traumatic sensations in their bodies, hearts and minds with anyone in their life, so all too often adverse experiences remain unsaid and unseen.
Adversity can happen to any child, at any point in their childhood and, if unprocessed and unsupported can leave a lasting, painful legacy of fear, anger, sadness and traumatic stress. Children affected by adversity are more likely to struggle to learn, to form healthy relationships and live with a sense of purpose and wellbeing. This can have lifelong implications for their mental and physical health and ability to participate in society.
Traumatic Stress can impact individuals, but also be passed through generations and throughout communities. In order to counteract the devastation that can be brought by trauma, an ethical, asset-based and socially supportive approach is needed.
To learn more about ACEs click here.
“Trauma is a response to any events encountered as an out of control, frightening experience that disconnects us from all sense of resourcefulness, safety, coping and / or love”
How can you identify and support children who have encountered terrifying, overwhelming events outside of their control?
Part 1: Adverse Childhood Experiences
Part 2: The impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences
Part 3: Supporting Children Impacted by Adversity: A Trauma-informed Approach
Part 4: Supporting professionals impacted by Trauma
These animations created by Kazzum Arts and animator Robin Lane-Roberts explore Adverse Childhood Experiences. They have been designed to support professionals who are building positive, trauma-informed relationships with young people, enabling them to feel safe, be creative and to thrive.
Find out more about how these animations were made here.
Find further resources related to these videos here.
Kazzum Arts is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people, staff and freelance facilitators and is committed to the provision of a safe environment for everyone.
Reasons Why
34%
34% of children who are referred into NHS services for mental health support are not accepted into treatment.
Creative arts participation can help people with diagnosed mental health difficulties to recover from mental illness.
“Recovery from trauma involves the restoration of executive functioning and, with it, self-confidence and the capacity for playfulness and creativity”
Train with us
Find out more about our Trauma-informed Practice training.
These animations were generously funded by Mayor of London, Tower Hamlets and the East End Community Foundation
