'I was really struggling': How the free Cyrenians art studio is helping young people open up

The Creative Natives project is run by Cyrenians, which is running a winter campaign to support those at risk of homelessness

When Chrissie first heard about the Creative Natives project, she hadn’t realised herself how close she was to being homeless.

A free space run by homelessness charity Cyrenians, the service allows young people aged 14 to 24 to create art in a supportive environment.

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“My mental health was at an all time low when I found out about Creative Natives,” Chrissie said. “I was in a support group, recovering, when someone gave me a leaflet advertising the service.

“I knew I liked art, and the leaflet said they might be able to help me build a portfolio. At that point, I wasn’t in high school anymore and I didn’t have a job, so I felt like I really needed to do something with my time.

I first went along because they had free art supplies. I thought even if I came away with a sketch book and some pens, that would be a win. I wasn’t sure how comfortable I would be in the studio, but I said to myself ‘at least you know you’re good at art, Just go in and give it a try’.

“I immediately loved it.”

The environment gave Chrissie the confidence to speak out about her personal situation. No longer in school, her mental health had been affected and she was struggling to process her situation at home.

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Some artwork created by Chrissie at Creatives NativesSome artwork created by Chrissie at Creatives Natives
Some artwork created by Chrissie at Creatives Natives | Cyrenians

“I didn’t take long for me to really trust everyone at Creative Natives,” she said. “I started working on a project about anxiety and that lead me to open up a bit more. I started dropping hints about what was going on with my family. I didn’t want to get social services involved, but I wanted to tell people what was happening to see if it was normal.

“They reassured me that some of what was happening was not OK. At that point, I guess I was at risk of homelessness, so they were able to intervene and get me into an independent living place. I’m much happier there.”

Creative Natives is run by a skilled team of key workers, artists and volunteers who provide comprehensive holistic, nurturing and individualised support - as well as giving young people the chance to develop their skills in areas including graphics, web-building, photography, poster and flyer design, painting and drawing. Cyrenians, which is working with The Scotsman on its winter campaign, tackles the causes and consequences of homelessness.

Chrissie adds: “Looking back, I was not in a good place when I started coming in, but I felt like I could be myself there. There weren’t any expectations put on me and I had to freedom to make whatever I wanted. I started coming to the studio every day to escape.

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Donate to our campaign using this QR code.Donate to our campaign using this QR code.
Donate to our campaign using this QR code. | Cyrenians

“At high school, I slipped through the cracks. I wasn’t loud and disruptive, but I also wasn’t super academic. I felt like I wasn’t really noticed by the teachers because I didn’t stand out. But I was really struggling. My mental health was getting worse and worse and I ended up leaving education because I couldn’t handle it any more.”

She adds: “Now I’m in a better place. I’m really passionate about telling my story and helping people understand the kind of support that young people like me need. I ended up meeting a Cyrenians youth participation worker at the studio and joined in on creating a group called Catalyst for Change, which is all about harnessing the experience of people like me, to help change things.

“When people talk about homelessness prevention, my experience is that it’s only really possible if services like Creative Natives exist. There’s only so much an institution like a school can do for people like me. It would have been great if they could have pointed me to a place where I could really be myself, to build trust with people and ultimately open up about what’s going on.

“I’m terrified that this place [Creative Natives] will disappear. In part because it means so much to me, but also because I know it’s helped so many others as well.

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“I’m now in college, living by myself and doing much better than I when I first walked through the studio door, with the leaflet in my hand. I would love more services like this to be available to everybody. They really make a difference.”

Grant Pringle, manager at Creative Natives, said: “I remember Chrissie did the animation for a film we were making. That’s when she started opening up about stuff at home.

“By putting together a film that helped her express how anxiety feels, we were able to start speaking a bit more in depth about what was causing the anxiety and then make a plan together to best support her.

“One of the good things about the service is that it’s totally bespoke for whoever gets in touch with us. We take time to understand each young person and help them unpick some of the knots in their life. We work really hard at matching like minded people in the chill vibe of the studio so they can build social skills in an appropriate setting, and this results in the confidence and resilience that allow them to make good decisions in the future.”

Donate to Cyrenians’ winter campaign here or by using the QR code above.

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