Past courses

Art Lab

in co-operation with De La Warr Pavilion

A group of nine young people worked in the galleries at De La Warr over eight weeks taking inspiration from the setting and the art works on display. They tried a huge range of new techniques including photography, ink drawing, sewing, animation, projection, sculpture alongside practising conversational skills. Art Lab welcomed young people to be free, adventurous and creative in a place with artistic history, and exhibitions right beside them.

Automata: making a moving art sculpture

in co-operation with Cabaret Mechanical Theatre

A wonderful mix of practical messing about with cardboard, scissors, glue and chopsticks, and dreaming up figures and objects that move in ingenious ways at the turn of a handle. We also reflected on the creative process, and finding a way to create and be ourselves in a society that can be hard on people who are different. This was an online course.

Creative Exploration

Another drama-based course, where over eight weeks young people had fun developing their drama skills. Together they created an amazing story of four young people struggling to deal with some serious life challenges, and eventually succeeding in creating their lives together. The drama gave them a space to talk about their own life experiences.

Digital Story Makers

in co-operation with Zo Daniels/Culture Shift

Young people met 3 times during the summer, exploring ways to bring text and image together to communicate information in the style of a social media post. Young people created posts about things they were passionate about and were then able to show these to each other.

Creative Reading and Writing

in co-operation with Eastbourne Libraries

Young people met over 8 weeks, trying their hand writing in a variety of genres, such as poetry, short stories, scriptwriting, inspired by the wonderful books that surrounded them in Eastbourne Library. Dyslexic participants were supported to create work. Their writings were presented in “A Voice That’s Mine” end-of-year show.

DisCo Window

in co-operation with Chloe Taylor and Ross Andrews-Clifford

Over nine weeks a group eleven young people helped co-create the vision and content of the new Discovery College Website. They learnt graphic design techniques and how the back end of websites work. They came up with an enormous selection of innovative ideas for content and provided their own artwork for the photography and icons on the site including the Disco web sprite.

Drama and Improvisation

A ten-week course where participants enjoyed creating semi-improvised dramas, which they performed to each other. They spoke of enjoying creating worlds through drama where they didn’t think about what was happening in the rest of their lives. Some members of that course performed a piece at the end of year show.

Discovering Our Best Selves

A five-week course where participants explored ideas and developed skills focused on wellbeing, thinking about their wellbeing and building their resilience in creative ways. They enjoyed a safe, relaxed space to openly talk about their feelings and have support in managing connections with other people and themselves.

Drama in Schools

in co-operation with The Company

The Company followed the priorities of the participants. One group wanted to help other young people understand what young people with mental health problems go through in school. They created an original show, “I Am Sam”, which they toured to three schools in East Sussex. A group from another course performed some shows called “Being Human” to teachers, who reported that it really helped their understanding about mental health.

Finding Your Joy

This course offered participants a relaxed and creative space to be with others and find what gives them joy. Participants enjoyed a space and support from fellow peers and facilitators to develop their skills, gain new ones, create art and most importantly have fun!

I Feel Good

Young people and clinicians worked together to explore factors that are really important for our well-being. Each participant was encouraged to create their own toolkit to improve their happiness and wellbeing.

Mindfulness for Parents/Carers

This 6-week course was offered to parents/carers of young people with challenging behaviour and/or emotional distress. The group offered a supportive space for parents/carers to connect with others in similar situations, learn more about how to support their own wellbeing, and learn mindfulness practices to support them to reduce stress levels, improve mood and increase responsive.

Music Speaks

An 8-10 week course. Sometimes it can be hard to tell others how we feel and what we think, but music can tell a story itself- 'where words fail, music speaks'. You don't need to have previous experience, just an interest in music. Some participants will be trying out musical ideas from scratch and others will already be writing their own material. As a group we will help each other gain new skills and confidence. Using a set of digital tools and music software and instruments of all kinds, we will be able to collaborate on song writing and recording sessions; enjoying playing and creating together and practise not worrying about making mistakes. We have been successfully running music speaks sessions in Hastings for a few years, often with participants staying on the course from one term to the next.

Nature Space

In co-operation with Circle of Life Rediscovery CIC

In the Summer of 2023, a group of 11 young people spent 2 hours a week for 8 weeks outside in nature, away from their usual routine and supported by a mental health practitioner, peer and subject specialist.

The Nature Space project is within a hidden walled community garden in Landport, Lewes, with a fire circle, a wooden shed, a simple compost toilet, a shelter/kitchen area, and a fire pit. The group decided together what they wanted to do at Nature Space and how to make the most of their time in the garden.

Some of the activities included: simple cooking on a fire; helping to conserve and clear areas for plants and food to grow in; nature art/crafting, and building needed structures for the garden.

Nature Space in the Woods

In co-operation with Circle of Life Rediscovery CIC

The Nature Space project spent a day in the woods, near Laughton, in October 2023 - a space a little wilder than the usual hidden walled community garden in Landport, Lewes. The space has a fire circle, a metal shed, a simple compost toilet, a shelter/kitchen area, and a fire pit, and lots of trees!

Some of the activities the group of 12 young people experimented with were simple cooking on a fire; nature games, simple foraging and seasonal plant medicine e.g. winter tonic, conservation; nature Art and woodland crafting.

For Parents and Carers of Distressed Children

This eight-week course helped explore ways to support children who can become violent when they feel strong emotions. Techniques from Nonviolent Resistance (NVR) were offered to develop skills to regain control of the space and increase safety in the home.

Photo Club

in co-operation with Photoworks and Culture Shift

An eight-week course, where participants were encouraged to experiment taking photographs with their smartphones, sharing their work with the group. They developed their observations of the everyday. They then explored using techniques such as collage, sewing and adding text. The work was exhibited in an online exhibition presented by Photoworks entitled “Reaching Out”.

The Power Of Voice

in co-operation with Audio Active and SPFT

Young people learnt rap and song writing techniques and how to tell their own story (or someone else’s), learning to have fun with music in a supportive, safe space.

Resolutions using art to support wellbeing

in co-operation with The Craftimation Factory

The four sessions explored with carers and their children together the use of creativity to learn new ways of processing difficult situations in daily life. They created beautiful art, making sense of what went on around them, using book making, images and words, and simple prop making. They created their own miniature exhibition.

Telling Your Story

in co-operation with Culture Shift

Telling Your Story was an 8 week after school creative programme which offered a friendly and stress free space to chill after school. The workshops gave young people a chance to express themselves in an honest, fun atmosphere.

A Voice That’s Mine

This is a joyous and popular annual end-of-year showcase celebration of all Discovery College courses and individual talents. Young people can invite their families, friends and supporters to enjoy a glimpse of their work. Each course presents some of their achievements, young people are interviewed, and some young people perform songs, plays, poems, dances.

Woodland Days for Teenagers

in co-operation with Circle of Life Rediscovery

Young people met in a camp in the middle of the woods, every month. They learned woodland skills, like learning how to make fires without matches, cooking, and using tools. They also played games and shared their experiences. The woods helped them to relax and co-create a fun, safe and healing time together.

Woodland Days for Families

in co-operation with Circle of Life Rediscovery

Families with young children met together in a camp in the woods. The children had fun with woodland activities, sometimes with their parents, and sometimes with woodland workers, so that the carers could spend some time together supporting each other and sharing experiences. They reported it was a space to be themselves with their families without being judged.