What is Converge at Northumbria?
The Converge focus is offering educational campus-based opportunities to those in the community who use NHS and non- statutory Mental Health services, or face challenges around their mental health and who are 18 years and over.
These individuals are enrolled on to programmes and become Converge students and become a part of a supportive and inclusive environment here at Northumbria.
Courses are short and accessible, primarily within Arts and Design, and are delivered by Northumbria Undergrad and post grad students, alongside support from academic tutors, Converge members of staff and industry professionals. The focus of the courses is on subject knowledge not on mental health. Courses include Drama and Performance, Introduction to Fashion, Fashion publication, Creative Print and Exploring the basic of Fine Art, movement and Dance, and Script writing.
Principles of Converge
· Students and artists: To work together as artists and students
· A community of learners: To build a community where we learn from each other.
· An engaged university: To engage and enhance the university and wider community.
· Support: To provide a supportive and inclusive environment.
· Respect: respect others, value yourself.
And above all … be ordinary, be extraordinary, be yourself.
How can Northumbria students get involved?
Without Northumbria students Converge wouldn’t work!
Alongside enrolling on our courses, other ways to volunteer with us: work closely with the Converge team to undertake training, and design and facilitate courses in your chosen field/ subject. Remember this doesn’t have to align to your studies.
NU student feedback
‘Volunteering with Converge has opened up so many opportunities, it was a wonderful experience to be involved, and it has really helped to shape my professional aspirations and support my own mental health’
‘Get involved- step out of your comfort zone, you won’t regret it’
To find out more about Converge visit: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/academic-departments/northumbria-school-of-design/research/converge/