‘It makes me feel calm because it allows me to imagine and create descriptions about places that are important to me’.
Caban Sgriblio (or Scribbling Cabin, in English) was a Peak project funded by BBC Children in Need from 2016-2019. It used creative writing and digital media to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people in Powys, Monmouthshire and the Valleys by offering young people a safe space to creatively express themselves.
Developed and led by writer and teacher Emma Beynon, Caban Sgriblio workshops reached nearly 500 young people aged 9 to 18 years, who were experiencing rural isolation, family breakdown, illness or poor mental health and gave a voice to teenagers growing up in rural Wales.
Young people, and the people that care for them, reported huge improvement in their self-confidence and a transformation in their interactions with peers and adult whilst their new friendships and creative skills helped them face the challenges they were dealing with. Below, writer Charlotte Thatcher reflects on the impact of the Caban Sgriblio project.
Caban Sgriblio – A Peak Project
Creating Better Worlds
By Christina Thatcher
Images by Siôn Marshall Waters
