The KORU Story
The name for The Koru Project was chosen by the founder and director of The Koru Project, Andrea Micah who lived in New Zealand as a child.
The Koru is a Maori emblem of the newly emerging fern, symbolic of new life, growth and strength.
Each frond contains within its tightly curled spiral, the design of the fully mature leaf.
The Koru Project seeks to encourage each person to grow towards the fullness and freedom of who they are.
The story of The Koru Project began when as a teenager, Andrea travelled to India with the Dorset Youth Association to visit arts projects and children’s street shelters in Mumbai.
The trip had a profound effect on her. She witnessed children without families and in poverty being given the opportunity to express themselves and be heard through playful street theatre and to gain confidence by taking part in sports and creative projects. She saw first hand how relationship, community and the arts brought life changing hope and healing to young people despite severe adversity.
The experience planted the seed of a life-long purpose to help children, and later people of all ages, to heal from trauma, realise their worth and live full and authentic lives.
Andrea began The Koru Project as a team of one with an old car and a few clients.
She was joined in the early years by arts therapist Craig Barrett who is now a clinical lead and senior consultant trainer on the Koru team, and by Yolande Anastasi her clinical supervisor who supported Andrea for many years as Koru became established.
Today Koru is a vibrant and warm hearted team of over 60 therapists and mentors working with children, young people, adults, families and community groups.
The Koru Project works throughout Dorset, to provide psychotherapy, mentoring and bespoke specialist provision in education through a range of disciplines from drama and music therapy to sports mentoring and forest school.
The vision for Koru continues to grow, as we share and learn the ways that creativity, kindness and excellence in therapeutic practice can bring hope and healing to many.
Please see our full range of specialisms.
Before beginning The Koru Project in Dorset, Andrea achieved a degree in theatre studies and qualified as a teacher and drama therapist. She went on to gain experience in London and internationally that would be an essential foundation for her work.
While working at Oval House Theatre in Lambeth, Andrea co-ordinated the ‘Back on Track’ programme for young people who were excluded from or not attending school. The programme of therapeutic arts education gave many young people a new sense of purpose and diverted them away from crime into education and meaningful activities.
Andrea spent time in India living and working in a street shelter in Mumbai and also took teams of teachers, artists, dramatherapists and puppeteers to the Philippines, at the request of ‘Cebu City Task Force Network’ to train professionals working with children on the streets and in prison.
Andrea witnessed the life enhancing effects that empathetic witness and creativity could bring to even the most harsh of life’s circumstances. She saw how people found hope and strength despite great suffering and wanted to start a project close to home that would offer the same empowerment to young people and families in her local community.