Creative listening: understanding young people’s voices and rights

With the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) becoming law in Scotland in July 2024, arts and cultural organisations working with children and young people are mandated to listen, hear, and act on their views and perspectives. Not all cultural organisations are equipped to do so.

We will co-design an interactive toolkit, developed with children and young people and arts organisations, that enables smooth compliance with the UNCRC. The physical and digital toolkit will include accessible information, best practice guides, and creative methods for listening to children and young people. It will enable organisations to self-evaluate their progress and grow a collective community of (best) practice.

Tialt is one of the UK's leading research organisations working with cultural organisations to develop creative, inclusive, methods, that foreground the voices of often marginalised groups. Subcontractor, Play Verto, has a mission to make digital data collection and insight more playful, inclusive, and engaging. Together we will enhance the skills and knowledge of our own and many other organisations.

This funding will enable a step-change in how the sector engages with young people, and how young people see (and hear) themselves in the organisations and institutions that serve them.