The Tassibee ‘Skin and Spirit’ project

From meeting with Tassibee's Chief Executive Khalida Luqman (see Chapter Nine) Cassie Limb, artist, devised an arts programme in response to some of the concerns raised in the Jay Report (2014). The objectives were to work with a group of girls, aged between 7 and 19, with a focus on building their identity and confidence. The aim was to explore anti-bullying strategies through a range of group and individual art and creative activities for a three-month period.

‘Skin and Spirit’ was the title of our project. It was able to meet its aims through the exploration of the perception of what our cover of skin is holding ‘within’. By creatively exploring what is valued and ‘precious’ and what is ‘perceived’, and through facilitating safe and open spaces to explore the girls’ experiences, both negative and lovely. We focused on positive impressions of other people's behaviour, people that they had as their role models; kind and good-natured relatives were talked about, with important traits highlighted and made into a wire sculpture, and we explored and made connections to a variety of their mystical and cultural roots. Deep connections were made as Cassie led with a creative research approach, as opposed to rigid and structured course content. The incorporation of Tibetan singing bowls created the important conceptual link between understanding frequencies, thoughts, intentions and prayers by visually showing cymatic, or wave-like, patterns on water. This chapter has captured some of the dialogues and artworks from the sessions, with explanations of the activities. It finishes with a poem by Cassie in response to the project.

Precious boxes

The first creative session engaged the group straightaway, with the decorating of small boxes with glitter and fluorescent sand. The sparkly materials were placed inside the boxes, and dark decorated papers were used to cover the exteriors. At the end of the session, Cassie turned on an ultraviolet light, and the room was filled with the girls’ exclamations of how each others’ boxes were so beautiful.

These small ‘precious boxes’ explored their ‘inner beauty’, which could easily be tarnished, dulled or spoiled by others, if the individual or those around it cannot see how to value and protect it.