Rhona leads our in-school Early Interventions in Somerset.
Rhona is a local artist with a background in youth provision.
She is an artist, educator and facilitator whose practice centres on social justice, co-creation and shared knowledge. Working across printmaking, painting and traditional crafts, she creates work that brings people together through collective making processes. Trained in printmaking at Falmouth School of Art she has since developed a collaborative practice rooted in community engagement.
As one of our new Sound Voices trainers Rhona delivers in-school early interventions at primary and secondary school levels. Covering Bath, Norton Radstock and Street she is central to our partnership working with The Wessex Learning Trust and The Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership.
Her background in youth provision is extensive, creative and relevant to Sound Vision’s reach and engagement of young people who will benefit from participation in our programmes. She has successfully designed and delivered alternative provision in schools and community settings, creating programs that engage young people in meaningful learning and creative experiences
Centred on care, responsiveness and dialogue, Rhona’s facilitation creates space for young people to bring their own perspectives into the learning process. Her work is particularly focused on supporting students who may feel excluded by traditional classroom structures, using creativity as a way to build confidence, engagement and new relationships with learning.
She uses participatory, arts-based, and trauma-informed approaches to support young people who face barriers to opportunities, including those with SEND, SEMH needs, and other vulnerabilities.
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“I believe that young people should have agency in their learning and feel included in shaping programs that affect them. The opportunity to contribute to an inclusive and creative learning environment aligns strongly with my professional experience and personal commitment to using music and creative approaches to support young people’s growth and development. Through activities such as willow sculpture, printmaking, dance and bookbinding, students explore mathematics, language and history in practical, embodied and collaborative ways. This recognises that learning is not abstract but shaped through experience, culture and participation.”
Rhona Iris, Sound Voices Trainer
