Make Your Mark

A four-week creative confidence programme for learning disabled adults

Make Your Mark is a four-part workshop series designed to support confidence, creativity and self-expression for learning disabled adults. The programme was delivered weekly at Chester LIVE! as part of their Facilitator Training Programme.

Across the four sessions, participants explored the idea of “making your mark” through art, movement and storytelling. Using accessible creative activities and sensory materials, the group developed a shared imaginary world called the Garden of Confidence. This space became the starting point for collaborative storytelling, performance and reflection.

Participants created mixed-media artworks, contributed ideas to group stories, and developed simple performance pieces inspired by their shared creative work. The programme was designed to support different communication styles, encouraging participants to express themselves through speech, movement, gesture and visual art.

Each participant left with their own artworks and the experience of contributing to a collective creative story.

Programme structure

Session 1 – Making Your Mark
Participants introduced themselves using speech, sign and sound, and created mixed-media artworks representing the things that inspire them.

Session 2 – The Garden of Confidence
The group imagined and explored a shared “garden of confidence”, identifying the people, actions and experiences that help them feel proud and strong.

Session 3 – Stories from the Garden
Participants worked together to create and perform short collaborative stories inspired by the garden using movement, still images and simple performance techniques.

Session 4 – Sharing Our Stories
The programme concluded with the development and sharing of group performances, supported by collaborative set-making and reflection on the journey through the workshops.

Outcomes

The programme supported participants to:

  • build confidence in sharing ideas

  • explore creativity through art, movement and storytelling

  • practise listening, collaboration and group storytelling

  • express identity and personal interests in a supportive environment

Workshops were designed to be flexible and accessible, with multiple ways for participants to communicate and participate.