View for Youth

VIEW for Youth

VIEW from the Inside for Youth in Junior/Senior High Schools,  is an award-winning program with the three-fold goal to empower youth, help to reduce the stigma of mental health issues, and build a sense of community in life’s challenges.

Within the carefully curated safety of the group, led by our accredited art therapists and teachers, mainstream, BIPOC, special needs and/or LGBTQ2S+ students examine who they are as a responsible, caring, self-reliant and contributing member of society. Through a process of self-reflection, critical thinking and creativity, students are able to explore the interplay of  dimensions of health (physical, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social) and the interplay of these factors in managing well-being. 

VIEW makes solid curriculum links the Career and Life Management Program of Studies as well as embedding Art and Drama concepts.

The innovative 8-week course has participants make a self- portrait- based puppet and present a performative reflection that becomes a platform for them to articulate their understanding of self visually and dramatically.


View for Youth

Book VIEW for your group, class or club.

      • We would use the online delivery platform the school prefers OR our own Zoom account.
      • The suggested fee for up 20 students fee is $2500
      • If course fees are a barrier – please contact us to discuss.

The fee includes:

      • View for Youth Eight x 75 minute sessions OR discuss alternative timetable requirements
      • Supplies include a mask form, a bit of paint, brushes and ephemera (will be mailed to you for free if you live in Canada, at cost if you live elsewhere ) and digital handouts
      • Supply list with optional additional materials
      • Access to online skill-building videos, digital handouts and resources
      • Invitation to sharing, art show and film screening. Specifics TBD.

Students are invited to join our adult VIEW from the Inside classes if they wish.


At WP Puppet Theatre we recognize the irrevocable impact COVID-19 has had on our youth. Youth have had to endure constant changes to online/offline schooling, restrictions on socializing/extracurriculars, missing key milestones, all while going through major physical/mental changes. There has been an increase in anxiety and mental health concerns in Youth due to the pandemic. We are sensitive to the ‘constant disappointment of things youth are no longer able to do, (which) contributes to feelings of loss, isolation and grief of what they miss out on. (CBC 2021)

We believe it is imperative for youth to have opportunities to address the self-impact of the pandemic, embrace their creativity, share their stories, and build their community with healthy relationships through positive social interactions (Calgary Counselling, 2021).

How View from the Inside could be delivered to students:

  • Apply for funding through Education Matters to help fund the delivery
  • The project could be a course requirement for CALM (Career and Life Management) – the mask is a visual and dramatic representation of their understanding of self and would be appealing to students who choose to express their learning in this way
  • Offer the workshop as an enrichment or mental health supplement that might run in a ‘club’ style or as an extracurricular activity
  • Offer the workshop to PLP students or students enrolled in a specialized class setting
  • Offer the workshop to students who are new to Canada and are English Language learners

“The symbolism of the mask provides a safe container for participants to deeply explore dimensions of themselves that they may otherwise not feel comfortable processing and/or sharing” Guidance counsellor

 

Using the power of puppetry to impact social change.