Woodlands craft a spooky Halloween project!

With the spooky season fast approaching, Woodlands, our Headway accredited brain injury care home in Middlesbrough, have embarked on an exciting arts project. Jason, a person we support, has created a spectacular, life-size mummy as part of the home’s weekly art activity.

With help from his housemates, Jason’s creation has become a real talking point for the home, showcasing imagination, teamwork, and artistic talent.

Creating a masterpiece

From the get-go, Jason threw himself into the challenge, dedicating eight hours to bring the spooky masterpiece to life. The mummy was made by stuffing a hazmat suit and then shaping and painting the figure to create the perfect look. The piece was brought together in a coffin made of cardboard and wood.

Jason got stuck into every part of the craft and loved watching his work come to life. He was proud to see the finished mummy in pride of place. It gave him the chance to challenge himself and really put his creative skills to work. He showed patience and dedication every step of the way. Since going on display, the mummy has brought an extra dose of Halloween excitement to Woodlands. Everyone is now looking forward to the home’s seasonal celebrations.

Jason has said his favourite part of the activity was painting the mummy and getting to work alongside his housemate and Therapy Lead. And most importantly, what did he think of his finished piece? In Jason’s own words, it was “Mint!”… and we couldn’t agree more!

More than arts and crafts

While the mummy is certainty something to shout about, the project is about much more than Halloween decorations.

Woodlands has always enjoyed arts and crafts, but with a Therapy Lead now in place, the team is bringing more structure to its creative activities. A dedicated two-hour art session takes place every week, giving the people we support regular opportunities to explore their interests, develop skills, and express themselves through art.

Projects like Jason’s encourage patience and build confidence, all while having fun. It has been particularly rewarding for the team to see the people they support get involved and discover skills they didn’t know they had. The experience has highlighted the importance of collaboration and the impact of meaningful activities.

Other projects!

The creative energy at Woodlands isn’t stopping there. The team have already completed another Halloween-themed project, which Jason was equally as pleased with. And there’s plans to explore even more spooky creations, including a Freddy Kruger inspired piece.

Looking beyond Halloween, the team is planning an art project for Remembrance Day in November. This project aims to bring everyone together to create something meaningful to mark the special occasion.

Woodlands has long celebrated creativity though activities such as Pride. The team are keen to expand opportunities like this for artistic expression throughout the year. They even hope to share their creativity with other homes and start art-themed competitions and celebrations.

Celebrating creativity

Jason’s incredible mummy is a perfect reminder that art can be about so much more than the finished product. It’s about having the freedom to explore something new and celebrate the process.

We’re incredibly proud of Jason and everyone at Woodlands who helped bring Halloween to life. The enthusiasm, teamwork and imagination have created something truly special, and we can’t wait to see what’s next!