Take Up Space, You Matter! Fostering (Re)Connection After the Pandemic Through Trauma-Informed Community Arts Programming

Amanda Scandrett

Impact

  • Addressed youth isolation and anxiety post-COVID through creative, trauma-sensitive programming, particularly benefiting girls, non-binary, and gender-diverse youth through inclusive, arts-based engagement.

  • Knowledge mobilization efforts are ongoing, with widespread sharing across academic and community spaces through presentations, podcasts, a documentary, and a publicly available trauma-sensitive program model and toolkit.

  • Saskatchewan

  • Studentship

  • University of Regina

  • GRR!, Vibes YQR, Femmes Across the Board

  • Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF)

  • 2021-2022

  • Children and Youth Mental Health

  • Children (aged 1-12), Youth (aged 13-24)

About the Project

The researcher developed a trauma-informed framework for training facilitators and led three distinct workshop series focused on songwriting and guitar performance, street dance, and skateboarding, in collaboration with GRR!, Vibes YQR, and Femmes Across the Board. The project aimed to reduce youth isolation, support self-regulation, and foster meaningful community connection, particularly for those whose well-being was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the short term, the workshops focused on helping participants form connections, develop artistic skills, and build self-confidence. The long-term objective was to sustain these relationships and promote ongoing mental wellness and community engagement beyond the project's duration.

Dr. Charity Marsh and Ms. Danielle Sakundiak served as co-Principal Investigators for this project, which was co-funded MHRC and SHRF. They supervised the researcher, whose contributions significantly advanced the work (Click HERE to read more about this project).

Methodology

The workshops, targeting youth aged 8 to 17, were delivered weekly over eight weeks (May–June 2022). Three series were designed and offered to support the mental health of youth made more vulnerable by the impacts of COVID-19.

Participants were recruited through targeted social media campaigns led by community partners. The researcher, a trauma-informed therapist and educator, supported all stages of project design and implementation. She developed trauma-sensitive materials (facilitator training, support videos, and a guide), offered mentorship to facilitators, and provided direct therapeutic support to youth.

To evaluate the program’s impact, pre- and post-workshop surveys and focus group discussions were conducted with both youth participants and facilitators.

Findings

The data analysis identified five key themes:

  1. Recommendations: Feedback highlighted important considerations for future trauma-sensitive program design, delivery, and facilitator support.

  2. Trust the Process: Facilitators emphasized creating safe environments that allowed youth to lead their own creative journeys within the art forms.

  3. Art Form in Community Practice: Both facilitators and youth acknowledged systemic barriers (e.g., gender, race, and class discrimination) within their respective art forms. Workshops became spaces to reclaim and reframe these practices toward empowerment and inclusion.

  4. Connection: The project fostered strong interpersonal bonds between youth and facilitators and among participants themselves, building a sense of belonging and mutual support.

  5. Pandemic Experiences: Youth shared their trauma and isolation resulting from the pandemic. Workshops served as a space to reconnect socially and emotionally in a supportive community setting.

Project Outreach

Findings have been shared across North American academic and community platforms. A growing partnership with the Child Trauma Research Centre is set to expand the reach and impact of this work within Saskatchewan and beyond.

Resources Created