While it’s grey and gloomy we’re focussed on the promises of new flowers, sunshine and a bit of joy.
Like a lot of teachers we’re focussing hard on Chinese New Year, Ramadan, Holi, Nowruz and Vaisakhi. Instead of admitting it’s snowing, now’s the moment to get vibrant. Colour has such an impact on your mood, so we’re not wearing black and beige winter coats, we’re just staring, stubbornly at last year’s colour throw and remembering what it felt like to stand in sunshine.
To this end- we’re working with Festival of Languages to deliver digital, in-school workshops for free. Creative workshops that bring vocabulary to life while dancing, drumming and making.
Part of denying winter and the feeling it will never end, is looking to traditions to bring us some colour and strength. Celebrating the beginning of spring isn’t just marking time on a calendar, just like winter traditions that help us track how dark the nights are- spring festivals help you look around and see that the days are lighter, brighter and full of laughter.
Dates to Celebrate
Maghi- Lohri 13 January
World Religion Day 19 January
Chinese New Year 17 February
Holi 4 March (GemArts x Baltic will be celebrating Holi on the 14th of March!)
Eid ul-Fitr 19 March
Nowruz 21 March
Eid-el-Fatir 19- 20 March
Vaisakhi 14 April
Look around to see if any green has appeared, if any light is creeping back and look forward to festivals to help you celebrate the start of another new year.
Working with young men in 2025 can be daunting. Young men are exposed to such conflicting messages about misogyny, racism and respect that they’re often holding three contradictory ideas about their role at any one time.
GemArts have worked with young men and boys in specific projects in the past, The Syrian Kings were part of East by North East, writing raps to express themselves the only way they could.
Thanks to funding from Gateshead VCSE we wanted to tackle the same issue, 6 years on. Young men and boys without a voice with a lot to say. M from our Homework Club decided we should look at music, specifically rap and hip-hop. M is a big fan of Central Cee and wanted to learn how to record his own song.
Cue DJ Ads joining the Homework team to make some beats, showing young refugee and asylum seekers how we creates music using different genres, samples and loops.
Based on this success and M’s suggestion we roped in the amazing Rex Regis and DJ Ads to deliver three days of summer school style/ School of Hip-Hop activity.
Lyric writing came easy to some, lads with the gift of the gab managed to get verses down about anything they were interested in, while others had to work together to even figure out what they wanted to say. With lots of listening to music, making music and a bit of football everyone relaxed enough to say what they needed to.
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Something that came up a lot was a want to be respected- a feeling like some people didn’t show them respect and that violence might be the answer. Support staff were on hand to speak about how to handle those feelings- but we didn’t want to censor the lyrics. If that’s how they felt, they should be able to say it.
Often when working in activity that means to challenge racism we learn things about our own perspectives. For me, Learning & Participation Manager, Lily Daniels, I had to wrestle with my complicated feelings around respectability politics. As a mixed-race young woman growing up I was painfully aware my behaviour wouldn’t be judged by the same standard as young white women I was growing up with- so I policed myself pretty strictly. I desperately wanted to police these lads in the same way, warning them about how these words from them were dangerous. Luckily, I knew DJ Ads and Rex had dealt with this before, they know the complicated history of hip-hop and where violence, creativity and expression intersect better than I do. They calmly accepted those feelings, no one was told they were wrong for feeling the ways they did, slight shifts appeared in the lyrics, with some lads saying no, they didn’t want to take this out on people, but they enjoyed the competition and thrill of video games, others talked about boxing clubs they were in and about the pride taking part made them feel.
A slight shift, but such a meaningful one. Being frustrated is part of adolescence, butting up against safety while you try to explore. These lads didn’t have a lot of spaces where they could be safely themselves, where they could speak their home languages, express anger and have it affirmed. If I’d had my way, they would have rapped about kittens and sunflowers- thank heavens for music leaders.
We were thrilled to host budding artist Cerys Gregory as our work experience placement this week. She has a keen interest in fine art and wanted to know more about participatory and socially engaged arts projects.
Taking part
Cerys took part in workshops throughout the week, learning to crochet, contributing to a textile wall hanging and hanging out with our walk and draw group.
“The best thing was the Feel Good Group, it was really nice speaking to people about all sorts of things! They were really friendly and inspiring. I kept going with my crochet project but I haven’t got very far!”
Getting inspired
To get ready for her workshop we asked Cerys to research a participatory artist- she chose JR
Why JR?
“The photography in the project caught my eye when researching, I admire the involvement of identity through the use of the portraits. He personalises the project which becomes more meaningful and profound, his use of black and white is impactful, the pieces lack colour, and symbolises harsh reality,
I like that JR emphasises the portraits themselves, focus is placed upon detail, expression,mood and emotion.“
Being in the audience
Cerys wanted to find an exhibition that reflected her interest in colour and learning about socially engaged arts. She chose Nerys Johnson- Disability & Practice.
“I am intrigued by her style and simplicity alongside her use of colour. I think the meaning behind her work and her backstory regarding her arthritis is something of interest. I’d like to see how that is conveyed.
I chose to review Nerys Johnson’s exhibition due to an interest in her use of abstract shape and line alongside her bold colours and contrasts.
From this, I learnt a lot about her style, and her backstory regarding her arthritis, learning about how she can express her struggles through her wild brushstrokes and colour theory.
Furthermore, I also gained a deeper understanding of her life as a whole, all the surgeries she had to undergo and time spent in the hospital, which helps to understand the messages, thoughts and feelings behind her work on a more personal level.”
Taking the lead
Cerys was asked to design, plan and deliver a workshop to which groups would be invited, her brief was:
something colourful, decorative, able to personalised
something useful, that you can use in the summer
fun to make, easy, simple
Paper fans!, simple enough to make, involves origami skills, crafts
can decorate pre made fans if too difficult.
involves colouring, creating and decorating
“No one came! We handed out flyers and several people said they were coming but it was just me and Lily.
I did the session as planned, just showing Lily how to make and glue a fan. We took our time and talked about lots of different cultures and celebrations that use fans.
She successfully made a paper fan, and decorated her own. She was really proud!”
Congratulations to Cerys for all her hard work and good luck in next year’s exams!
We love hosting Work Experience students like Dervla, she spent three days with us this week making and learning.
Monday- Reviewing artwork
Mia + Eric work on participatory art exhibitions, around themes of nature, place, community. I’ve chosen to review their work, as I’ve never been to the Gateshead library (where the exhibition is located). This is part of the project 3WOODS, where Mia + Eric explore human relations with animal. The project began in 2020. Their photography and filming of the digital side is all done outdoors, in fields, forests, and other countryside atmospheres, to move away from busy urban settings, into quieter, still environments, completely surrounded by nature.
The art exhibition by Mia + Eric is an immersive experience. You are surrounded by nature, digitally. The ambient music draws you in, and it places you in the centre, surrounded by nine TV screens, all projecting a similar image: videos of almost stationary people, wearing animal masks. The masks were crafted out of colourful cardboard, and despite the simplicity of them, they carry power. The observer in the middle feels surrounded, like they are the ones being observed. The rest of the subjects appear to be human, with normal clothes, and bodies, but the cartoon style masks take away this humanity. The main way it stays grounded is though the few movements made; slow, small, but effective, and changing slowly.
The second part of the exhibition is a series of statements, all present tense, opening with the ‘we’ pronoun. This is inclusive, and all the statements have some connection (close or distant) to nature, like all people. “We pick mushrooms in our secret foraging spot”. There is a clear message, of environmental protection and immersion, through both presenting the nature-based statement, and the implicitly of it being from a group, immersing themselves within.
Wednesday- Walk and Draw
Hesam Moshfegh first started creating art due to inspiration from his mother, as she enjoyed drawing a lot. He studied at Duncan of Jordenstone College of Art & Design, and University of Dundee, Scottland. He helps run an art class in Saltwell park, with GemArts – they’re frequent collaborators. His diversity with art is what I particularly admire, choosing to not just restrict himself to one medium.
He creates stories through comics and graphic novels, and gives life to his art, by creating stories and personalities to the subjects of his work. The pictures I’ve cut out and styled here show the diversity in his style, as the one in the centre is colourful and cartoon-like, and the other two are black and white, and shadow-like. Only the shapes are visible of the people.
I researched Hesam by interviewing him before joining him for a Walk & Draw workshop. I also found information out about him online.
Art from my Walk & Draw with Hesam
Friday- Skills Share
I chose to share my skills and knowledge about zines with Lily for my final day, it’s a really varied and broad artform that I’d used throughout the week to present my review and display the research I’d done about Hesam Moshfegh.
I felt really good about my skills share- you’re so free to do what you want to do when you’re zine-ing!All the materials I prepared for my workshop
Overall my work experience at GemArts was really good, I learned so many new skills and the skills I already had I was able to improve on. I’d recommend GemArts to anyone who wants to expand their artistic skills!
What happens when 20 young people (who never usually join after-school activities) come together to create something entirely their own? Chaos, creativity, and a whole lot of courage.
We have been delivering GemArts Homework Club led by Zahra our Community Bridgebuilder at Gateshead Central Library since September 2024. Students arrived as strangers, with not a lot in common! Some of the young people were shy, some loud, all unsure but this Refugee Week they proved themselves as filmmakers, artists, and storytellers. This is what happens when young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds are given the space to dream out loud.
Stop-motion animation takes patience. A single second of film can require 12 painstaking adjustments. But for these young people, the real challenge wasn’t just the technical skill: it was believing their voices mattered enough to be heard.
At the beginning of this term they wanted to learn some digital skills and gain some confidence. They’re all tech whizzes on smart phones but stop-motion is a blend of technical know how and patient, analogue creativity. Yet by the end, they were teaching others how to make marionettes, standing tall during Q&As, and sharing their hopes for the future, even when they’d rather play it ‘cool.’
This wasn’t like art projects they’d done at school, instead, it was a collage of dreams. One marionette hoping to become a doctor; another, a professional basketball player. One scene showed a reunion with family overseas; another, someone totally at home in their town. These weren’t just characters, they were pieces of the creators themselves.
When listing off their favourite animated films we had horror, classic silver age Disney, anime and Pixar. This group is incredibly diverse in interests but united in creativity, this group proved that ‘refugee and migrant youth’ isn’t a monolith: it’s 20 individual stories, 20 ways of seeing the world, and 20 reasons why spaces like this matter.
Take Y and M: two teenagers with the same label, living in the same town, yet navigating creativity- and mental health challenges in utterly different ways.
Y: The Quiet Filmmaker
Y spends most sessions folded into the back row, speaking only when directly asked (and even then, in hesitant English). But hand him a camera or a puppet, and his silence transforms. For his stop-motion segment, he crafted a scene of paper airplanes carrying tiny figures, Sudanese and Palestinian refugees across a blue sky. No dialogue, just the quiet implication: We’re all fleeing different wars, but the sky doesn’t care where you’re from.
The Barrier: Language isn’t just about words; it’s about who feels entitled to speak. Y’s creativity lives in the gaps between his thoughts and his ability to voice them in English. Animation gave him a way to communicate without translation.
M: The Charismatic Force Who Hates Slow Motion
M is all energy, she jokes in three languages, henna artistry, colourful doodles, the kind of confidence that makes younger kids orbit her. But stop-motion? “This takes forever,” she groaned, after adjusting a puppet for the tenth time. Her finished segment was brief (a twirling figure in the city streets), but her real contribution came later: At the screening, she MC’d the Q&A, henna’d attendees’ hands with Arabic names, and stayed late stacking chairs.
The Barrier: Trauma often lives in the body as restlessness. For young people like M, who have survived instability, sitting still to painstakingly move paper limbs can feel like an act of trust she wasn’t ready to give. She showed up, just differently.
Why This Matters
Y needed a way to speak without words. M needed movement to counter the stillness. Neither engaged the way a “model student” might. But their breakthroughs weren’t in perfection. They were in these moments:
Y being asked what he would make an animation about if he could choose anything and confidently saying to a group of strangers “Palestine.”
M cheering on the other speakers, no sense of ego or competition, just celebrating her friends bravery.
For young people carrying asylum-based trauma, “participation” isn’t a checkbox. It’s a negotiation between what they can bear, what they dare to hope for, and who they’re ready to be that day. And that’s what made their film, and their courage, so extraordinary.
It’s one thing to make art in private and quite another to present it to a room full of people when you’re used to being overlooked. But they did it. They wrote and re-wrote their speeches to open the film screening, they practiced their henna to make designs for visitor s around translating names, and they hesitated before leading their workshops. They showed up. Reaching beyond creativity and finding resilience.
For many, this was their first time leading a workshop, speaking into a microphone, or seeing their work on a big screen. The nerves were real, but so was the pride when they realized: I made that.
This project could have used any medium, they tried DJ-ing and made illustrated collages. But choosing animation meant we could prove that when young people are given the tools, the trust, and the platform, they can far surpass their own expectations. And for 20 young people who don’t usually get to take centre stage, that’s everything.
Professional animator Sheryl Jenkins co-created this animation project with the young people and made sure it wasn’t just about teaching skills, but gave everyone a chance to tell their story, she passionately showed these young people that their stories are worth telling. And the crowd at our screening really wanted to hear those stories.
Next time you see a young person hesitant to share their work, remember this group. Confidence doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s a quiet voice saying, Fine, I’ll try. And that’s where the magic starts.
We are grateful for funding support from Gateshead Community Bridgebuilders, Gateshead VCSE Menta Health Grant Funding and Arts Council England to enable GemArts to deliver this programme. A massive thank you to all the young people, volunteers, artist Sheryl Jenkins and all the support staff.
We’re not here to convince you that art is good for you. (We’ve been telling you for years, and years, and years.) We’re not even here to list all the studies proving that making art together strengthens communities and helps us understand our emotions.
While working with Sabina Sallis last term she worked in limited palettes, with a different colour every week. Inspired by that we want to talk about green this creative wellbeing week.
Green isn’t just a colour; it’s a feeling. It’s the first shoots of spring, the return of fresh greens to our plates, and the way a walk in the park can shift your mood in minutes. It’s also a powerful creative force—working with green materials (in hue, not just sustainability!) can completely change how we approach art.
Green Spaces: Where Nature Meets Creativity
For years, we’ve partnered with Springbank Pavilion to run wellbeing workshops that harness the magic of green spaces. As an anti-racist organisation, we’re committed to breaking down barriers to creativity—and that includes access to nature. Too often, people of colour are stereotyped as “inherently urban,” with fewer opportunities to enjoy parks and forests. But green spaces belong to everyone, and we’ve seen how transformative they can be.
At Springbank, we worked with artists from the global majority to lead workshops in natural dyeing, den building, map-making, and more. Participants embraced the challenge of drawing inspiration from nature, wandering down new paths—both literally and creatively. There’s something freeing about turning a park into your studio.
Green Crafts: Creativity Rooted in Nature
Last year, we teamed up with Sabina Sallis to bring botanical creativity to the Millin Centre. Through deep breathing, herbal balm-making, and even foraging for sunflower seeds, participants explored nature’s colours and textures in hands-on ways. Sabina later collaborated with Hillside Hub to create a stunning natural installation for our Holi celebration—proof that green-inspired art can be as vibrant as it is grounding.
Olive skinned
And while some of us at Gem headquarters can pull off any colour, green is usually a bit of risk when it comes to fashion. But the benefits far outweigh the risks. Green has a way of rewiring creativity, sparking fresh ideas and problem-solving.
At the Feel Good Group, artist Emma Sheridan guided participants in making greens sing. Inspired by spring blooms, the group created bold daffodil yellows and poppy reds, weaving them into a mandala of stems, flowers, and thorns. The result? A show-stopping installation that became the ultimate Holi selfie spot.
Go Green
Whether it’s through nature, crafts, or pigments, green has a way of opening doors—to creativity, to calm, and to connection. So next time you’re feeling stuck, take a leaf out of our book (literally). Step outside, pick up a green pencil, or just stop and notice the world growing around you.
But here’s the deal—young creatives don’t just magically become legendary mature creatives. They need SPACE to make WEIRD, WILD, WONDERFUL art! Without it? They just get… older. And that’s not the vibe.
Creative chaos at Side by Side! 🥁
Every Tuesday, we’re turning up the volume with FREE music sessions for 5-10 year-olds, and let us tell you—these afternoons are PURE ENERGY! We’re talking rhythm games, epic song mash-ups, and young creatives writing bangers about their feelings (future Grammy winners, we see you!). Oh, and did we mention they get to work with PRO artists? Georgia May and Legion leading the way in these sessions are phenomenal.
Arts + Wellbeing = ROBUST YOUNG MINDS 💪
Because talent alone isn’t enough—young creatives need rock-solid mental health too! That’s why we mix arts, play, and wellbeing to boost language skills, digital smarts, and emotional intelligence. We’re big fans of arts wellbeing- it’s all about creating, playing, and sharing wins (and struggles) in a safe, creative space. And it’s MAGIC.
Inspiration Station- Young Creatives are learning the art of review at Side by Side
Make some noise
At Side by Side, we believe in LOUDER = BETTER. Many of our young stars face communication challenges—until they grab a mic, bang a drum, or belt out a tune. Suddenly? Barriers vanish. Confidence SOARS. And the joy? UNBEATABLE.
🎬 Lights, Camera, HOMEWORK CLUB ACTION! 🎥
And for our digital wizards? They’ve been teaming up with the amazingSheryl Jenkins to ANIMATE their own short films! 🚀 Mark your calendars—because you’re getting a VIP invite to their premiere during Refugee Week. Trust us, you do not want to miss this.
🚀 Gateshead’s young creatives? They’re not just the future—they’re rocking the present. And we’re here to make sure they THRIVE.
🔥 Want in? Join the movement! Let’s make some noise. 🎶✨
Young Creative’s is made possible thanks to funding from VCSE Gateshead
Thanks to Gateshead VCSE funding GemArts are delivering arts wellbeing activity in the Bridge’s ward for young people to find their voice, confidence and skills.
As part of the Young Creatives project Georgia May Turnbull and George Otigbah have been leading workshops on lyric writing, vocal skills and music production at Side by Side Arts. These workshops are designed to help develop our young creatives connection to culture, community and creativity.
The group have put together their thoughts on what they want to get involved in from arts and music in Gateshead- lock in to get a glimpse of what the young people we support want over the next 12 months:
We’re thrilled to see that the young people we work with love learning about art! And clearly they’re all natural performers who want to share their skills and learn new skills. To support this feedback we’re looking for as many opportunities for them to perform as they can take part in!
Until then check out their newest mashup, featuring all their favourite tunes and some of their amazing skills.
Our East by North East young musicians made a splash this winter term
This winter, East by North East young musicians took the stage by storm! From Newcastle to Gateshead, our talented youth were hard at work, honing their skills and preparing for a dazzling celebration at DiverCity Hub.
A Community of Sound
We brought together schools, community groups, and clubs to create an unforgettable night of music. Let’s dive into the highlights of this incredible winter term:
North Benwell Youth Project:
Our seasoned musicians passed the torch to a new generation, who embraced the challenge with enthusiasm.
Under the guidance of DJ Adam and MC Drop Dead Fred, they crafted original tracks and put their unique spin on classic pop songs.
The Girls’ Group soared to new heights, tackling complex pieces with the support of Anna and Georgia.
Benfield School:
Students at Benfield School pushed their creative boundaries, writing original tracks that have us excited for a return to the recording studio.
With Rex and Georgia’s expert guidance, these young musicians are truly blossoming.
Side by Side:
Our youngest musicians, aged 8-12, formed a vibrant new group. They’re not only working on their musical skills but also creating vocal warm-up exercises for the entire program.
Their infectious energy and talent shone through in their original tracks and karaoke performances.
Life Transformation Church:
Despite a busy schedule, LTC musicians made significant progress in their instrumental and vocal skills.
Their dedication and hard work are truly inspiring.
LTC musicians at our celebration event
A Celebration to Remember
The DiverCity Hub celebration was a night filled with joy, energy, and incredible performances. From Side by Side’s powerful rendition of “I’m Still Standing” to Rex’s engaging hype games, the audience was captivated.
Young musicians supported each other, sharing their passion and talent with the world. The positive feedback from both young and old was heartwarming, with one adult audience member even feeling like a teenager again after a mesmerizing performance of Morrissey.
We’re incredibly proud of our young musicians and can’t wait to see what they achieve in the future.
Want to Join the Fun?
North Benwell Girls’ Group: Open to young musicians aged 12-16.
Side by Side: Join us for fun music workshops for ages 8-12 every Tuesday from 4:30-6:30 PM in Gateshead.
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