Comics Youth CIC’s ‘Turn the page’ Social Prescription Project for young people aged 16-25

Comics Youth is a youth led organisation focused on delivering comics-based literacy, publishing, and wellbeing projects to children and young people aged 8 – 25 who are subject to extreme marginalisation.

(Marginalisation means - placed in a position of little or no importance, influence, or power)

Our mission is to provide creative opportunities for marginalised young people to speak truth to power and have their voices heard by creating a variety of digital and physical publications about salient community and lived experience issues.

We work with marginalised youth including LGBTQIA+ and non-binary young people; those experiencing complex trauma and mental ill-health; hospitalised young people experiencing chronic or terminal illness; ethnically diverse young people; and young people experiencing a form of neurodivergence, special education needs, and/or disabilities.

The ‘Turn the Page’ Comics project aims to provide a person-centred package of proactive and reactive support for young people aged 16-25 who have symptoms and/or experiences of anxiety/depression within the Merseyside area.  The project will provide an array of creative comic book and zine-based opportunities for young adults to experience the narrative benefits of comics and art. Operationally it will provide:

1)      Reactionary Support: The delivery of 1hr 1-2-1 digital or face to face sessions in our Hamilton Square HQ, pending access needs, autobiographical comics focused sessions for young adults who may struggle in group environments. Young Adults will receive 6-8 weeks of targeted support wherein we will use the power of comics as a tool for inner self-expression, which will slowly be transitioned into resilience. Young Adults will work 1-2-1 with a trained Comics Illustrator to author personal comics to delve into their lived experiences in a productive and health seeking way, thereby enabling them to process their memories through sequential art.

 2)      Preventative Community Support: The delivery of x2 8 week ‘Zinester’ cohorts. These cohorts will combine issue-based workshops and seek to support young people to publish zines and comics regarding subjects such as reducing isolation, managing anxiety, and demystifying stigma relating to their lived experiences.

 As an access note- we will accept both referrals and self-referrals to the project as we are conscious of barriers to access for young adults with anxiety and/or depression.

For more information visit https://comicsyouth.co.uk/

or email: Rhiannon@comicsyouth.co.uk