The Arsenal Foundation has helped to fund The Toy Project, which runs play workshops and gives unwanted toys to children in hospitals, hospices, schools, nurseries and to families in need. One of their key staff members, Jess Doyle, tells us about the art project we supported.
“I’m a local primary school teacher and I grew up in Islington myself. I’ve worked closely with The Toy Project since it began nearly 12 years ago and I helped in setting up our playroom space. I now manage the running of sessions at the playroom and the play scheme during school holidays, as well as our community gallery space.
“The Toy Project is a not-for-profit charity organisation that focuses on the importance of play and recycling. We are a charity for the community by the community – it really is our bloodline. We work with the community to provide toys and books to families in need as well as run inclusive and varied workshops for children and adults. We pride ourselves on being adaptable to the needs of the community to ensure our workshops are accessible to all.
“We run weekly sessions at our playroom alongside the artists in residence at our gallery space. I work with the artists each week to curate sessions tailored to their work. This creates inclusive and adaptable sessions that give children access to the arts they may not otherwise have. We’ve worked with painters, ceramicists, sculptors and photographers to name a few. The gallery is an affordable space for local artists to exhibit their work and collaborate with us to devise engaging sessions and hands-on experiences based around their artwork.
“A session begins with the children visiting the gallery. They explore the artwork before meeting the artists to learn more about their practice and ask questions. The children then come back to our playroom with the artist to create artwork inspired by them.
“The workshops are a great opportunity to build the children’s cultural capital as well as giving artists the opportunity to see their work in active workshop format. All our sessions are free, which gives people who may not otherwise have access to galleries and the arts the opportunity to engage in artist-led workshops.
“The consistent return of children and families is testament to their enjoyment. Children keep coming back week after week and bringing their friends too. Children of all ages and backgrounds have built friendships and skills over the time they spend here. Families have commented on our adaptable practices, meaning their children with disabilities are able to access a session alongside a sibling – something we understand is challenging to find elsewhere.
“We also run sessions with our local alternative provision, The Bridge. As well as producing art, the children are able to develop life skills, which can be a challenge for them in these settings. One parent said how pleased she was that were able to offer something like this for her child and how grateful she was for the opportunity. There are things he has done while making artwork that she never thought would be possible for him.
“One session we run is specifically to build confidence and resilience in children facing a range of challenges. These could be related to mental heath, SEND or coming from difficult situations. The children have a safe space to develop inter-year group friendships and safe relationships, and we’ve seen them grow in confidence. They are now actively asking the artist questions and engaging very intentionally in the sessions. These safe relationships extend to school, and give them confidence to talk about what they have created.
“Many of the children who access our services have additional needs and have been turned away from other provisions. The dedication of the staff and, to mention it again, the attention we have to ensuring we are inclusive and adaptable means that these children are able to access our sessions and develop new skills.
I grew up down the road from the stadium. When you work with children you have to be strong about which team you support and when you live in Holloway you’re a Gunner and that’s final.
“I work with a lot of children who dream of being footballers and who dedicate their lives to their clubs. I think it’s the responsibility of any large organisation to contribute to their community, but particularly in something like football where the community puts so much into their local club. It’s invaluable for community charities like ourselves to have the support of Arsenal to develop projects that serve our community.”
You can find The Toy Project’s shop at 81 Junction Road, Archway, N19 5QU. For more information visit [thetoyproject.co.uk](https://thetoyproject.co.uk/).
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