The KORU Project
Drama / Art Therapy for Children and Young People
We work with children and young people who have suffered and continue to suffer significant experiences of trauma, neglect and emotional deprivation. Children and young people involved in crime and or experiencing difficulties engaging in education.
KORU is a unique therapeutic and educational intervention for young people experiencing the cycle of deprivation and at risk from exclusion. KORU offers a safe supportive space with a rigorous and creative approach for young people with complex needs. Individual and group work is offered depending on the needs of each young person.
The pilot project has focused specifically on working with 'Looked after Children'. The young person is given time and security to express their feelings, find relief from pent-up emotions, tell their story and rehearse a different way of being. Through the creative outlets of drama, art and music, they experience hope, motivation, power and courage, gaining self esteem and qualifications, ultimately breaking the cycle of disadvantage for themselves and their communities.
The Koru (fern) is a symbol from Maori Culture. The symbol embodies the qualities that are the essence of the aims of the project: Change, wholeness and renewal. It represents the unfurling of the innate potential that exists in each young person to embrace the challenges of life.