£76k Children in Need grant will help improve mental health of young people in Lancaster district

State of Flux is a project using art, through dance, film and music to support skills development, reduce social isolation and develop self-worth and aspiration in young people admitted to The Cove (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service CAMHS) in Heysham.

Following a successful pilot, The Cove approached Lancaster’s Ludus Dance to run the project on a bigger scale.

Having been awarded their biggest BBC Children in Need grant, Ludus Dance will deliver State of Flux from September 2019 for the next two years, helping more than 150 children and young people.

Young people are referred to The Cove due to the severity of their mental health difficulties, which can no longer be managed within the community; clinical depression, emerging psychosis, anorexia and suicidal thoughts.

State of Flux incorporates weekly creative sessions and work placements with professional artists over a 12-week period.

By teaching practical skills and mentoring the young people, they will construct dance sequences and original sound scores to develop short films they can share.

The creative skills development will allow them to explore their identity and individuality, providing a creative outlet for dealing with challenging thoughts, feelings and emotions.

As their journey continues the aim of State of Flux is to embed self-worth and aspiration, allowing the young people to find their fit in society and build a sense of normality.

There will be regular opportunities to share their work and test their resilience with staff members and family, leading up to big community opportunities through festivals and exhibitions.

BBC Children in Need relies on the generosity and creativity of the thousands of supporters and fundraisers who raise millions of pounds for the charity every year.

To date the public have raised more than £1bn for children and young people facing disadvantage across the UK.