A new creative arts centre has been launched by charity Mission of Innocents.
Located inside Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh, the centre provides a safe space for resettled children and families to rebuild through creativity.
Joyce Landry and Mission of Innocents performers. (Image: Mission of Innocents)
It offers programmes in art, music, movement and storytelling designed to help young people regain confidence, process trauma and reconnect with childhood after experiencing crisis.
Joyce Landry, founder and chief executive of Mission of Innocents, said: "Mission of Innocents started because I saw children who had lost their sense of safety, routine and joy.
"They had been through things no child should experience, and there was very little support focused on how they were feeling.
"This centre gives us a place where children and families can feel safe, be themselves and begin to thrive, and that means everything to us."
Mission of Innocents was established in 2022 by Ms Landry after her company, Landry & Kling, managed two ships used to house Ukrainian families fleeing the war - one of which was HMS Victoria in Leith Docks.
Depute Lord Provost Lezley Marion Cameron and Dmytro Miskova . (Image: Mission of Innocents)
The evening included a performance by the children and the unveiling of a commemorative installation.
The centre’s opening was also attended by Edinburgh’s deputy lord provost Lezley Marion Cameron, members of the High Constables of Leith and the Consular Corps.
Joyce Landry, Depute Lord Provost with The High Constables. (Image: Mission of Innocents)
Nataliia Pidruchna, director of children’s programmes at Mission of Innocents, said: "Creative arts give children a way to express feelings they don’t yet have words for.
"Through art, music and movement, we see confidence grow, friendships form and smiles return.
"One little girl I worked with barely spoke at all, she had become completely silent. Over time, through dance and movement, she slowly began to find her voice again.
"It’s for children like her that we do this work.
"This centre will be a place where children feel welcome, supported and free to be themselves, and where families who’ve been through incredibly hard times can begin to thrive together."
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Since 2022, Mission of Innocents has supported more than 800 resettled children.
The charity has since expanded to support families from Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and Sudan.
The new centre offers a permanent base in Scotland, with free classes and programmes running throughout the week.
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