Getting creative: Using art-based techniques to identify how arts organizations enhance young people’s well-being

Mental health concerns present significant challenges for Australian youth. Arts organizations play a key role in promoting preventative mental health strategies through enhancing the social and emotional well-being (SEWB) of youth. However, little is known about how the arts promote SEWB and the processes and contexts through which this occurs. This article describes a 2021 workshop conducted on the lands of Whadyuk Noongar in Boorloo, Perth, Western Australia as phase 1 of a research project aimed to improve the capacity of arts organizations to promote SEWB. Utilizing tableau, lightbox activities, and focus groups, the workshop employed art-based data-collection to identify approaches used by arts organizations to promote the SEWB of youth. The approaches encompassed developing empowerment and agency, creating safe spaces, connecting, and collaborating and encouraging emotion awareness. Given the high engagement of participants in the data collection process, art-based activities will be used in future phases of the project.