Goal of this area
The goal is to create conditions in which creativity becomes a tool for social interaction, self-expression, meaningful leisure and the gradual inclusion of veterans in the community.
Participants do not need any art experience or special skills. Sessions are designed so that people can start with simple tasks and gradually master more complex techniques.
What matters most is not the artistic level of the finished piece but the creative process itself, taking part in a shared activity and interacting with other participants.
Main session formats
This area can include:
- painting game and collectible miniatures;
- basics of working with colour, composition and art materials;
- making dioramas and themed compositions;
- making game terrain, buildings and scenery;
- modelling and sculpture;
- drawing and graphic practices;
- creating characters and visual concepts for tabletop role-playing games;
- group creative projects;
- themed workshops;
- exhibitions of participants' work;
- open creative meetups;
- training veterans who will later be able to run creative sessions for other participants themselves.
The miniature as a creative tool
Painting and modelling miniatures is a separate strand of this work.
This format combines artistic creativity, working with your hands, learning new techniques and socialising within the group.
Participants go through the whole creative process: from choosing a model and imagining the final look to preparing the miniature, choosing a colour scheme, painting, finishing the base and creating a completed composition.
Over time, participants can move on to more complex work: creating squads for board games, dioramas, game tables, scenery and large group projects.
A finished piece gives participants a visible, tangible result of their own work, which they can use in a board game, keep in their collection, give as a gift or show at an exhibition.
Combining creativity and board games
An important feature of the programme is the chance to combine several of the organisation's areas of work.
For example, a participant can create and paint their own character miniature and then use it during a tabletop role-playing game.
A group of veterans can build scenery and a game board together and then play a game on it.
This creates a single cycle:
making → creativity → shared activity → game → communication → community.
Everyone can find the way of taking part that feels comfortable. Some come for tabletop role-playing games, others for miniature painting, modelling or drawing, and over time they get to know the organisation's other areas of work.
Group work and social integration
Many sessions take place in a group format.
Creating together provides a natural setting for getting to know each other and talking. Participants can share experience, help one another, discuss their work and carry out large creative projects together.
This makes it possible to form stable interest groups and build a veteran creative community around them.
Experienced participants can gradually become mentors for newcomers, run workshops and help new community members take their first steps in creativity.
Expected results
This area of work aims at:
- creating regular, meaningful leisure for veterans;
- expanding their circle of social contact;
- involving veterans in creative and civic activity;
- forming stable groups and communities of interest;
- developing creative and practical skills;
- creating opportunities for self-expression;
- involving veterans in joint projects;
- training veteran mentors and creative session leaders;
- organising our own exhibitions, creative events and presentations of participants' work.
In the long term, the creative strand should become part of a single veteran space where a person can come to a workshop, learn to paint miniatures or build scenery, find like-minded people, join board games and, over time, help new participants themselves.
In this way, the organisation sees creative and art therapy practices not as one-off events but as a long-term tool for social integration, creative self-fulfilment and building a veteran community.
Want to join this programme?
Write to us and we will tell you about upcoming meetups and how to join.