“Finding Their Voice” Exhibition

The D-Day story Museum organised the “Finding Their Voice” exhibition which showcased banners designed by young people, as a part of The Creative Identities Project. The aim of The Creative Identities Project was to provide creative personal development and employability opportunities for young people in Portsmouth and beyond.

We were able to reach the following three youth clubs – the Brook, BIAC, and Hillside Youth Clubs in Portsmouth, rather than just two which was the initial plan. Reaching an extra youth club meant that we expanded this opportunity to more young people, which gave more room for creativity and expression.

The focus of the project was not only in inviting the young people to create something, but about youth participation and building relationships between artists, young people and youth provision, in the hope to work with them again in the future and build lasting relationships. The project delivered was truly young person led. Although the focus was not about creating something, the young people designed social justice banners relating to issues that were important to them, including racism, bullying, LBGTQIA+ rights, and women’s rights. These banner designs were then displayed at a social action event at the D-Day Story Museum.  

Photography by Dev Place

With the collaborative efforts of the artists, mentors and young participants, this project helped in empowering the voices of young people. These young voices are reflected on the banners they created as well as the meaningful relationships they established. Artswork takes pride in its role, reflecting our commitment to empowering young individuals through creativity. This workshop will leave an impression on Portsmouth’s young creative landscape and beyond, owing to its seamless integration of history, creativity, community and youth empowerment, which has also nurtured meaningful connections. 

This project was supported using public funding by Arts Council England.