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Our Team
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Graham was the visionary behind Youth Art Connect. He discovered his talent for oil painting during the pandemic. He also discovered that creativity helped his own mental health and well being which led him on a path of philanthropy to help others discover the same.
He now uses his art platform to start up wellness projects around the world promoting across YouTube, his Podcast and his social media channels.
Find out more about him and his social channels here.
Email directly at graham@youthartconnect.org
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Siobhán is the quiet behind-the-scenes member of the team. Siobhan moved to Cornwall to study photography at Falmouth Uni in 2004 and has never left the southwest. Siobhan is currently studying to become an Arts Counsellor to combine her love of Art and her passion to support young people’s mental health.
The stars aligned and Siobhan met Graham and Marie at just the right time having just quit her day job in e-commerce to focus on the career change and the rest is history.
Email direct at talk@youthartconnect.org
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Hey there. My name is Marie and I’m one of the Directors of Youth Art Connect.
After completing my degree in art and design, specialising in animation, I moved to Cornwall where I had a whole range of jobs; from working with autistic adults to supporting people with poor mental health and addiction.
My passion has always been about working with young people with neurodevelopmental conditions and I specialise in working with those labelled with “behaviours that challenge”.
Youth Art Connect was set up to help as many young people as possible, whether they are disabled, neurodivergent or neurotypical, through the fantastic therapeutic medium of art.
I love what we do; having a passion for engaging with young people that others struggle to reach is a fantastic thing and we hope to take Youth Art Connect to as many places as possible.
Email directly marie@youthartconnect.org
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Hi I’m Tamsin. I volunteer with YAC and help out with the publicity side of things. I love the ‘art for all’ ethos and seeing all the young people creating inspires me to get back into my own art. I’m a recent returnee to Newquay having moved away as a teenager and am really enjoying being back in Cornwall and seeing what a vibrant inclusive community my home town is becoming.
Email Tamsin directly at media@youthartconnect.org
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Hello, my name is Lanna AKA Queen Of Light! I am a volunteer here at the wonderful Youth Art Connect and I am on a mission to heal as many people across the world through art and different therapies. I want to make sure art is accessible for everyone and that people know there are safe places to heal, grow and get creative. I am a qualified therapist specialising in NLP and Hypnotherapy and I also am a conscious artist myself creating paintings and music. I love spreading my therapy and healing knowledge through these mediums also. I love doing childhood trauma release work through art as another form of therapy. By letting your most child-like, vulnerable, innocent and adolescent self be present whilst getting creative, I believe it can help you connect to that version of yourself and allow you to heal and move through childhood trauma more smoothly. The music I also create is deeply influenced by my personal healing journey, I try to tell my story to let the world know it isn’t what you’ve been through its how you grow through it, you truly can do anything in this life if you trust and truly believe. I feel I am my own evidence of that! I want every single living being to always follow their dreams no matter what:)
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With always having a infinity with art when I was younger there was never anything like Youth Art Connect in Liverpool. This is a great project and a privilege to volunteer to provide valued outlet for young people to express themselves through Art.
Email Ricci directly at compliance@youthartconnect.org
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I have a background of working for many years in the care industry with almost all needs and ages. I have worked in specialist care homes, nursery schools, mental health settings, in the community and privately as a 1-2-1. Due to my own health being challenging, I moved away from hands-on care work, to studying Contemporary Creative Practice (posh way of saying a mixed art degree, where the methods of making art overlap into one project) and 10 years later had the courage to admit I am an artist! I find painting therapeutic and love interior design, bold colours and adding texture. I wanted to find a way to reconnect with the local community as an artist and help people, so I felt fulfilled.
I recently came across Youth Art Connect due to attending the adult art club. It provided an inclusive space to make a mess without the guilt and through chatting to other volunteers there, I have started to learn more about my own neurodivergent ways of navigating the world. Ultimately, it’s the first time I’ve felt normal in my weirdness, understood and seen. I recommend everyone comes along and experiences the fun and the warmth of the lovely people. It’s beautiful! I’m so happy to be a part of it and to be able to lend a hand too.