There’s a particular kind of quiet that settles over a room full of young people when they’re deep in a drawing. No phones, no pressure to say the “right” thing — just paper, colour, and a bit of space to feel whatever they’re feeling.

That was the atmosphere our team helped create at NottAlone Live 2026, a two-day event held on 7th and 8th July 2026 at the YMCA Community and Activity Village in Newark, celebrating Children’s Mental Health Week under this year’s theme, “Self-Care Summer.”

Hosted by NottAlone — a partnership between Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire NHS Integrated Care Board, and both City and County Mental Health Support Teams — the event brought together schools, young people, and community mental health services from across Nottinghamshire. Around 800 young people and professionals attended across the two days, moving between workshops, performances and stalls designed to help them understand and access the support available to them.

Four members of the NIDAS team — Marie, Anita, Donna and Claire — were there throughout, but it was Marie and Claire who took to the workshop room, running back-to-back sessions with small groups of young people all day, both days.

Day One: Drawing Out the Excitement

On the Tuesday, Marie, our Children’s Worker, ran a series of Drawing & Talking sessions — an emotions-based approach that uses drawing as a safe, low-pressure way for young people to express how they feel, without needing to find the “right words” first.

Across four workshops, small groups of young people explored a single emotion together: excitement. What does it feel like in your body? What makes you feel it? Where does it show up in your life? Through drawing, the group had a contained, supported space to sit with that question and see what came out on the page.

It’s a small shift — starting with something as simple as excitement, rather than diving straight into anything heavier — but it’s a deliberate one. Giving young people practice naming and exploring an emotion that feels good makes it easier, later, to do the same with the harder ones.

Day Two: Positive Statements and Personal Superpowers

Wednesday brought our Art Psychotherapist, Claire, into the room, running four 45-minute art workshops with the support of NottAlone staff. Each session welcomed 10–15 young people, alongside teachers and mental health workers who didn’t just supervise — they picked up materials and made their own artwork too, sitting alongside the young people they support.

The day was split into two themes:

Morning: “My Positive Power” Young people were invited to think of one positive statement about themselves — something they’re proud of, something they’ve achieved — and bring it to life using whatever art materials called to them.

Afternoon: “My Strength… My Superpower” The theme shifted to something a little more playful and expansive: build your own tower, tree, skyscraper, or even a fancy layered cake — each layer or branch representing one of your strengths or your own personal superpower.

The materials table had a bit of everything: paint, collage, posca pens, and — by the sound of it — an awful lot of glitter. Some young people painted their statements in bold letters. Others built intricate paper towers, layer by layer, strength by strength. There was no single “correct” way to take part, which was rather the point.

What the Room Actually Felt Like

You can plan a workshop down to the last glitter pot, but you can’t plan for how it will land — and this is where the day really spoke for itself.

One young person told the team they didn’t want the session to end and didn’t want to go home. Another described the room as calm and peaceful, and liked it enough to come back for a second art workshop later that same day.

Every single young person took their artwork home with them — a positive statement, a tower of strengths, or a drawing of what excitement feels like, made real and something they could hold onto long after the glitter had been swept up.

Why We Do This

Art and creative expression give young people something that conversation alone sometimes can’t: a way in. Not every young person has the words for what they’re feeling, and not every young person wants to talk about it directly — but almost everyone can pick up a pen, a paintbrush, or a pile of collage scraps and start making something.

For our team, days like this are also a chance to be visible in the community in a different way — not just as a service young people are referred to when something has gone wrong, but as a friendly, familiar presence they’ve already met, in a room that felt safe and calm.

Bring This to Your School, Group or Event

NottAlone Live was a brilliant reminder of what’s possible when local services, schools and communities come together around young people’s wellbeing — and we’d love to bring that same energy to your setting.

Our Art Psychotherapy and children’s wellbeing workshops are available for schools, youth groups, community organisations and events across Nottinghamshire. Sessions can be shaped around themes like emotional expression, self-esteem, healthy relationships, or personal strengths — whatever fits your group best.

Interested in hosting a NIDAS art or wellbeing workshop at your event, school or group? Get in touch with our team at 📧 [email protected] — we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about our Art Psychotherapy service for domestic abuse survivors — women and children — across Mansfield and Ashfield here: nidas.org.uk/our-services/#art-psychotherapy-service

📧 [email protected] 📞 01623 683 250 🔗 nidas.org.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NottAlone Live? NottAlone Live is a two-day event held in Nottinghamshire to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week, connecting schools, young people, and local mental health services. It’s organised by NottAlone, a partnership between Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, and the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire NHS Integrated Care Board.

Does NIDAS run art therapy workshops for young people? Yes. NIDAS’s Art Psychotherapist and Children’s Team deliver art-based and emotional wellbeing workshops for young people, using creative approaches like drawing, painting and collage to help them explore emotions, strengths, and self-esteem in a safe, supported space.

Can I invite NIDAS to run a workshop at my school or event? Yes — NIDAS welcomes invitations from schools, youth groups, community organisations and event organisers across Nottinghamshire. Email [email protected] to discuss your group and what a session could look like.

What age group are these workshops for? Our children’s and young people’s workshops are designed for school-aged children and young people, and can be adapted depending on the group’s age and needs.

Where can I find out more about NIDAS’s Art Psychotherapy service? You can read more about our Art Psychotherapy service for women and children affected by domestic abuse across Mansfield and Ashfield at nidas.org.uk/our-services/#art-psychotherapy-service.

NIDAS is Nottinghamshire’s specialist domestic abuse service, supporting anyone affected by domestic abuse with free, confidential help — emotional support, safety planning and practical guidance. If you or someone you know needs support, call 01623 683 250, email [email protected], or visit nidas.org.uk.