Early Learning Initiative Childhood Restored Book Launch: Anything But Covid!

A celebration of artwork and stories created by primary school children in the NEIC took place at a community exhibition event on Friday 17 June, to celebrate the artwork and stories of the children that participated in the project.  A custom-made book of art and stories was also launched on the day, creating a historical record of the experience of primary school children in the NEIC during the pandemic.  Exhibition materials will be archived and loaned to local community groups to exhibit.  

Childhood Restored is a community arts project that aims to provide primary school-age children in North-East Inner-City schools with a safe space to express their feelings around the pandemic and the effect it has had on them, amid our emergence back into society, through art and creative writing. Between April and May 2022, Children in six NEIC schools participated in a series of artist-led workshops to create both artwork and stories inspired by their individual and collective experiences during the pandemic. This project has been generously funded by the NEIC and builds on the Restorative Practices (RP) work already taking place in the NEIC, to help to reconnect primary school children and their families with each other and re-establish a sense of community.