Listen Up

Comics Youth CIC works with young people aged 8-18 years.

Programme developed by young people to design, create and publish a comic book (online and print) which explores their health and emotional wellbeing, as well as improving literacy skills. Issues to be explored include anxiety, aspirations, stress, depression and bullying. By talking about their issues, appropriate support can be provided to help them to develop their skills and confidence as well as building their own emotional resilience.

In just 12 months, the project has provided over 168 young people with the opportunity to talk about their mental health and have their voices heard through publishing comics and zines about issues that are important to them.

Young people with special educational needs and / or disabilities (SEND) have been supported to read for the first time, non-verbal young people with autism have been supported to publish a comic book about their lives, a group of LGBT young people have been supported to publish a trans survival guide, 3,000 copies of a self-care zine curated by young people who have experienced mental ill health have been published.

In addition, Comics Youth has recruited eight volunteers with SEND, gender dysphoria and mental health issues and are in the process of training them to be youth workers of the future.

The project has also been nationally recognised and has recently scooped three awards at the Royal Society for Public Health’s Health and Wellbeing Awards – Arts and Health Award, Public Health England Commendation 2018 for Reducing Inequalities at Community Level 2018 and the Public Health Minister’s Award 2018.