Our voice matters…Do you CARE? Feeling Safe - the Youth Voice Big Art Project
Aim
The concept for this project came from a discussion held with the Children in Care Council Young People.
The aim of the project was to create artwork that broke-down the stereotypes and stigmas of being a child in care; to provide a place where the young people’s voice could be expressed freely; and to give the young people a platform to be heard, especially to those people they felt really needed to hear what they had to say.
Structure
The young people took part in 2 days of workshops over a weekend in January 2023.
They worked with artist Dionne Freeman in the ‘Make Space studio’, to produce a piece of artwork each.
12 young teenagers took part in the project.
Outcome
We held an exhibition of the young people’s work in the ‘Make Space Oxford Central Community space’.
The exhibition was open to the public for 2 month after the launch event on 22nd January 2023 for invited guests. The exhibition reached families, friends, school staff, members of the Children in Care Council, their support workers and general public.
Shortened versions of the opening speeches at the launch event (written and delivered by young people):
I have been in the care system for a while and been though a lot! I hate that we get judged. We all have struggles and we all deal with them. I have had comments on me being in care and I think it’s wrong, everyone has their own story, and no one should ever judge!
I believe in you. You are intelligent. I am so proud of you. You are gifted.
Don't give up. Trying is more important than winning.
Don't compare yourself to others. Follow your dreams
(We) deserve better…We all deserve to have a second chance.
Second speech:
YP: We are actual human beings, we are actual children who deserve a life as much as the next man. For me in my life I have had a lot of stigma…the second people hear your in care, they are like, stay away. You always get compared to Tracey Beaker... …These programs often show care kids in a bad light… to all be nuisances, is that what people think of kids in care? We are not all dumped, we don’t have a choice and a lot of the time neither do our parents. I don’t want to be in care, my family don’t want me to be in care but that is just the way it is, the way it happens sometimes. I want us to be seen as normal human beings. Not called kids in care. I just want us to be kids like every other person.
Support worker: And do you think this exhibition has done that?
YP: Yeah. I hope it has yeah.
Foster Kids collage artwork
Did the project make you feel better, the same or worse than before?
10 out of 11 said it made them feel better than before.
1 said it made them feel the same as before.
How did you find the project?
“It made me feel good. I got to express myself and breakdown the barriers of how people see children in care.” - Participant
“I enjoyed that I could express how we feel without being judged or being told what to say.” - Participant
“I learnt that art can be anything you want it to be. I had never tried stencilling before. “ - Participant
“It was fun – somewhere to show your creativity with no limits.” - Participant
“It more than met my expectations, I have had a really nice weekend. I think we achieved what we set out to do.” - Participant
“I enjoyed meeting new people. The project made me feel happy and I learnt I was good at painting.” - Participant
“This has been an amazing project to be part of. The young people have had a strong voice throughout the project which is essential in the purpose and drive behind then work. This strength in voice has been facilitated by the embedded work of Angharad and James who have worked extremely hard to build trust and relationships. I have learnt so much from the young people over the days I worked with them about how art and making can be deconstructed. Alongside the creative visual work a big part of the sessions was having space and time to talk as a group.” - Dionne, Artist
Exhibition Photos
