The Garage, an NGO Public Service was founded with a vision of enabling people facing mental health issues to cultivate their unique artistic talents to develop, grow and be able to become contributing, working members of society.

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Background

The Garage is a multidisciplinary pre-academic art school. Our mission is to enable talented young artists facing mental health challenges and difficulties to find their role in the marketplace. The Garage program is the only school of its kind in Israel and perhaps the world is the first step in the voyage of these youths. The yearlong curriculum is composed of courses at a high professional-artistic level in three tracks: Music, Art & Design and Media & Writing.

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Challenges

Young adults, who face mental health challenges, often find themselves isolated and a bleak future. Since many are artistically talented and have unique sensitivities, developing their skills and enhancing their strength, offers the opportunity to enter previously closed doors to their professional future.

The school offers a unique, accepting and inclusive environment that is attentive to students’ needs.

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Program

We provide a unique skill set to our participants: a balance between behavioral/social support and artistic professional teaching skills and methodologies. The latter is available in all academic programs; the combination is our strength and advantage.

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Achievements

We are extremely proud that more than half of our graduates already enrolled in leading art and music schools, (studying architecture, music, fine art, graphic and fashion design and more) They are developing their talents and expanding their horizon, as they become productive members of the art community.

 

Current fundraising target for the Garage projects:

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Graduate program - We wish to ensure our students future success: Accompanying our graduates throughout their studies will increase their chance to complete the task successfully. And will give them a much greater chance to integrate into the workforce, and find a way to a fruitful productive life experience

 

Scholarship fund for Garage students - £30,000 scholarship fund will allow students to focus all their energies on their studies. For those students where the support is partial, we would like to award scholarships based on merit and excellence.

 

Recovered artists (Peer specialist) accompanying and tutoring graduates during their academic studies - Founding and supporting a group of peer specialists who themselves are recovering artists, graduates of art and music academies. These peer artists can offer the most sensitive and responsive support and guidance as our graduates realize their dreams and study in art and music schools.

 

Mentoring and private tutoring for Garage students - Individual mentoring, guidance and private lessons in parallel to the class studies. For instance – violin lessons, design tutoring, vocal lessons and more offers.

 

Weekly music ensemble sessions – a musical ensemble composed of students and graduates, with expert guidance and support, offering them an opportunity to meet, create their material, record and perform.