Why does youth voice matter?

Hello, we’re Leanne and Simi, two of Artswork’s younger team members. We want to share our thoughts on the importance of youth voice, and highlight the brilliant work that happened at the recent Artswork Youth Board meet-up on 16 August 2024. It was great to see some of the young people in person, and to connect with those who joined online. The main goal of the day was to talk about how young people can use their voices to make a difference on issues like equality, diversity, and inclusion, which we are all extremely passionate about. We also got to visit the John Hansard Gallery, which was thought-provoking and inspiring. We worked together and started with brainstorming some of the biggest challenges that young people and the creative sector are facing right now. One thing that came up a lot was discrimination and how it affects us and our communities. We agreed that we need more education and awareness in schools about this, because the effects of discrimination can be detrimental to people and make them feel excluded. Some other topics we discussed were:

• Arts and careers: we felt like there’s not enough support for us when we finish school and want to pursue further or higher education, especially if there are additional barriers to overcome. We also felt like arts subjects are not valued enough in schools, and that they discourage young people from following their creative passions.
• Money and funding: we discussed how difficult it is to find affordable resources and free spaces to be creative. This stops us from getting involved in projects and training that we’re interested in.

• Accessibility issues: we shared our thoughts on how inaccessible some events can be. They’re often too far away, have no public transport options, or are lacking important pre-event information that can help minimise feelings of overwhelm and anxiety, particularly in new spaces. We also shared our desire for events that are tailored specifically towards teenagers, that are more visible and well-promoted.

Then, we moved on to think about how we can raise awareness and understanding of these issues. The youth board worked collaboratively to identify some key messages, like how important it is to look beyond stereotypes, celebrate diversity and individuality, and recognise the unique challenges that people who were assigned female at birth (AFAB) face. We also imagined what we would like to see happen in 3 years, if we could change things for the better. Some of the ideas discussed were to introduce preventative measures and education in and out of schools to combat ignorance, increase funding for schools to support students with additional needs, and have cheaper eco-friendly products and resources that don’t create waste. 

We’re very excited to use what we learned from this session to support Youth Board members in creating a social media campaign with Artswork. We want to use our platform to embrace youth voice and show why youth voice matters. We hope you’ll join us and support us on this journey. 

You might ask, why does youth voice matter? As Artswork’s younger team members and also having had the privilege to work with young people in various settings, we have witnessed time and again that young people have a lot to offer to organisations and society. 

Young people bring fresh ideas, creative solutions, and a lot of passion for the causes they believe in. Their unique perspectives can help create more inclusive and innovative environments. As an organisation, Artswork is committed to embracing these young perspectives, empowering young people and incorporating their voices in our work. In return, we gain valuable insights, allowing us all to thrive together. 

Inspired? If you are looking to incorporate some of these techniques or develop work with young people within your own organisation, talk to us. Our knowledgeable and highly experienced team can help you with a range of delivery, development and consultancy projects.