Holiday Activities and Food Programs
Funded by Camden Council, Department for Education, and Young Camden Foundation
Holiday Activities and Food programme supports low income families with free enriching activities and nutritious meals
- HvH ARTS won the Childcare Works Award for its Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) program in 2023.
- This accolade was presented to recognise our work in giving children from low-income families access to free, nutritious food and engaging activities over the school holidays.
- Every year we create a unique Summer schedule all independently taught by professional tutors who are both experts in their artistic fields and have a passion for working with young people, inspiring them to create their best work and fulfil their potential.
If you would like to help us provide at-risk children and young people with a place to have fun, learn skills in the arts, and have a healthy meal every single day during the School Holidays, please donate.
HvH ARTS Wins The Award for The HAF 2023 Program
“The HAF programme is the difference between our children spending their holidays in overcrowded homes or out on the streets, missing the healthy meal that they’d get at school – or with us at HvH ARTS, safe and not hungry, learning new skills, developing their creativity, having fun and making art which inspires them and others around them. We’re so proud to win this award recognising our much-loved holiday arts programmes in photography, dance cooking, screen-printing and more – all thanks to HAF.”
Above is a video filmed and curated by our Creative Director, Lily Alice Clark, of all the workshops we delivered for the HAF 2023 Program for which we won the Childcare Works Award.
HvH ARTS ‘Create Every Day’ Summer program supported 85 children and young people on our HAF SUMMER 23 program during the Summer Holidays.
Inside The Workshops
- Workshops are offered every week of the school holidays, 4 days a week, from 11 am – 3 pm.
- Vast range of media are used depending on the chosen workshop: collages, self-portraits, vision boards, crochet, paint, wooden puppets, canvas, clay (for stop-motion animation), textiles, clothes for fashion up-cycling, analogue and digital photography, and so much more!
- Constant and supportive mentorship from professional artists and tutors in the industry
- Lunch, snacks, art supplies and resources included
- The summer holiday program ends with a celebratory exhibition showcase for family, friends, and the community of Queens Crescent!
Key Statistics
- 1024 unique children and young people are supported by our programs to date
- 76% are children living in poverty in Gospel Oak and Haverstock wards
- 336 days per year delivering sessions across eight venues
- 20+ types of diverse media taught by our professional tutors
- 9,420 healthy hot meals provided to help end holiday hunger
- 100% of our sessions are delivered free of charge to attendees
Our Impact
“Having these brilliant holiday workshops that my children have taken part in has added another dimension to their learning and fun. It is a unique opportunity for the area and provides free access to resources and materials they wouldn’t normally have. I’m delighted that my children take part and even have lunch provided. As a family with 3 children, we are able to join highly skilled art educational program which we could not otherwise afford access to.”
Parent: Yassamine Lahreche
“It was a ray of sunshine which brought a huge difference to the community, families and our children in Queens Crescent. By being able to access the art and media programs for free is a huge support for families living on low incomes in our community. I absolutely adore and I speak for many families all the wonderful works HvH Arts is doing for our community.”
Parent: Caroline Nalwoga
Here are just some of our previous workshops
PHOTOGRAPHY with professional Photographer Debbi Clark and Susana Hill
Teaching the art of photography using professional SLR Olympus camerasCULTURE VULTURE
The Photographers Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, including a talk with curators, a photography session and a visit to the TATE Modern. Exploring street photography, landscapes, and portraits along the Thames Embankment.ON LOCATION / FASHION SHOOT with Celebrity Fashion Stylist Patricia Jones
Creating a fashion campaign, learning how to mood board in our HvH ARTS Media studios & editing suiteANALOGUE & PRINT WORKSHOP with Professional Photographer Debbi Clark and Paul Romans
A unique workshop using 35mm film and printing at London Darkroom with professional Philip Grey learning how to create black and white prints.THE ART OF WRITING and ILLUSTRATING A BOOK with award winning bestselling Author: Georgia Byng
Mentoring our young artists with writing workshops using storyboards and illustrationILLUSTRATION ‘LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY’ with Artist in residence Trisha Krauss (NY Times Illustrator)
A workshop focused on a theme of community, looking at the blue plaques in our borough of Camden with the aim of celebrating our strengths in the diversity of our community.COOKING WITH MOTHER with Chef CHRIS at Mother Canteen
Learning to cook recipes from around the world focusing on cuisine from Africa, Asia and South America with an emphasis on home food and flavours. Meals that are specific to different communities and not often seen on a typical restaurant menu.COOKING IN THE COMMUNITY with local Chef Justine Kantor at Rhyl School Kitchen Classroom
Supporting young people in the kitchen, teaching them how to cook and getting them excited and inspired about food. Learning about good nutrition, what’s in season, planning and preparing meals.LOVE DANCE with Damien Anyasi, Professional breakdancers Bgirl Nat & Bboy Blinx
An opportunity to dance with professional choreographer Damien from Manifestation Dance company using street dance style moves.ART BY NATURE with award winning Author / Illustrator Sharon King Chai and NYC Artist Lee Matthews
Giving our young artists passion for experimenting and innovation using unusual materials and references to nature including potatoes, blackberries, onions, feathers and sticks.ART ON CANVAS with professional artist in residence: Zoe Grace
Creating two canvases during this 3 day workshop using gold and silver leaf, 3d lettering, stencilling and colour combinations.FASHION DESIGN with artist in residence Astrid Jacoby at Little Hands Design
Upcycling and embellishing denim and fabric to create new looks from old clothes. Teaching sustainability through fashion design.THE ART OF GRAFFITI with artist in residence Louise Adjei
Teaching the art of graffiti using posca pens and spray cans aimed at our younger children. Learning positive and negative stencilling creating exciting visuals on canvas with the theme of Culture and Music in Camden.ACTING AND DRAMA WORKSHOP & FILMING SHOW REELS with Film Master Graduates from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Exploring different techniques including improvisation, voice, and movement. Focusing on building confidence and collaboration.
Join Us in Making a Difference
Help Us Continue This Life-Changing Work
Your donation helps provide a safe space for young people to heal, create, and thrive.
You can also help support our mental health funding by purchasing a book of poems that our young people helped to illustrate. “I SPY WHAT AM I?” was designed by 26 children and young people with their creativity in illustrating images for this A-Z of riddles & rhymes with Trisha Krauss and Gary Bishop.
All proceeds go directly to help funding our mental health projects.