Our approach
We meet young people where they are.
Our work focuses on building confidence and collective resilience through arts-based experiences, care, and collaboration. Success for us isn’t about quick results, it’s about sustainable growth and reduced reliance on services over time.
We believe that meaningful change can’t be rushed. Many systems offer short-term interventions that can unintentionally cause harm, especially when they surface big emotions or trauma without space to process. Our approach is different: slower, steadier, and built on relationships that last.
Our philosophy
We create safer (not absolutist ‘safe’) spaces — spaces that honour uncertainty, difference, and personal pace.
We prioritise care, grounding, and belonging before productivity.
We value art-making as a form of learning, healing, and connection.
We know that young people face a multitude of barriers:
Lack of adequate alternative provision for young people with SENd
Reduction in arts education in schools
Young people marginalised from decision making processes
Negative attitudes towards young people and mental health/neurodiergence
High levels of anxiety and depression;
Lack of therapeutic support/provision
Long waiting times for statutory care
Young people should have access to creativity. The problem isn’t young people, but the systems around them that are failing.
How we change this
Arts education
Advocacy
Creative therapies
Our Creative Learning Framework
We have developed a framework to establish the appropriate language that describes what happens at AEE through a rich, reflexive process with young people and a team of dedicated and specialist practitioners. It is our blueprint, albeit a 'live' and dynamic blueprint for how we work with young people. The framework is universal but particularly geared towards working with young people, who have complex support needs. Through this approach young people direct their own learning and gain agency and autonomy.
