Please visit our updated page about Wave arts club

Jan 2019

We’re pleased to announce that Intra is one of 27 organisations receiving a grant from Kent County Council’s ‘Saving Lives – Suicide Prevention Innovation Fund’. Our proposal to start an arts club club for young people was successful, along with all kinds of interesting projects across Kent targeting various groups at raised risk of suicide.

Intra Arts director Xtina Lamb at the Saving Lives launch, with an example Wave arts club activity – screen printing on T-shirts

Our arts club, called the Wave project, will be open to people aged 15 – 24 years who are at risk of suicide, or who have been affected by the suicide of someone close to them. Wave will have an informal friendly feel, we hope to build a supportive group of peers that will help to improve self esteem and reduce thoughts of isolation, self-harm and suicide.

Ideas for creative workshops offered at the Wave arts club include screen printing, graffiti art, bookbinding, writing, making zines, puppetry etc., and each one will be led by experienced Kent-based artists. The young people attending will be encouraged to help in deciding the programme of activities, and there will be snacks provided at each meet up. Participants can take part in enjoyable activities in an inclusive, relaxed environment where resilience, confidence, trust, friendships, skills and self worth are built. There’s no pressure to join in specific workshop activities, and everyone will be made very welcome.

The first club meeting will be at the beginning of February, but people can join at any time. Activities will be held at INTRA, and potentially in other Medway locations.

We are reaching out to GPs, youth workers, mental health groups, educators and parents who may be able to put us in touch with young people who would benefit from joining Wave. For more information or if you would like to refer a young person to join the Wave project, please email intraarts@gmail.com or call 01634 753299. If you are aged 15 – 24 years and feel this group might be right for you, please do get in touch with us yourself too.

Wave will always be attended by at least one organiser who has suicide prevention or mental health first aid training. No one will be asked to share with the group why they are attending the arts club, but if they wish to talk about the difficult things they are going through, this will be supported.

Funding for Wave runs until the end of March 2019, but we hope to raise further funds to continue this important project as an ongoing club.

UPDATE  October 2019
We’re delighted to have received funding to support Wave until October 2020 from the Saving Lives Legacy Fund (Kent and Medway Social Care Partnership Trust) and the Rochester Riverside Community Board (a partnership between The Hyde Group and Countryside Properties).