What happens when children are given the space – and the tools – to truly express what shapes their lives?
It’s a question at the heart of a powerful session due to take place at this year’s NICVA SUMMIT, where the focus will turn to how organisations across Northern Ireland can better listen to, understand and act on the voices of children and young people.
Taking place at ICC Belfast on Wednesday 10 June, the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) SUMMIT will return to bring together sector leaders, practitioners and policymakers – with a standout workshop challenging long-held approaches to engagement with young people.
Led by Young at Art, Save the Children and Voices for Impact (Bytes), ‘Seen and Heard: Creative methods that can get children’s voices heard’ will explore how creative practice can unlock more meaningful ways for children to communicate their experiences and influence the decisions that affect them.
The session builds on real world learning from Save the Children NI’s Listen to Learn project, which saw almost 80 children from six primary schools across North Belfast take part in a unique, arts-based research programme to share what helps and hinders their learning.
Delegates will have the opportunity to explore how collaboration across the voluntary, community, and health sectors is transforming outcomes for people and communities across Northern Ireland.
These insights will form the foundation of discussion at the engagement hub at the NICVA SUMMIT, where delegates will be encouraged to reflect on their own approaches to engagement. The Seen and Heard session will examine why children’s voices are often absent from decision making, and explore how organisations can adopt safer, more inclusive and effective methods of participation.
Importantly, the focus will not only be on listening, but on responding – ensuring that what children communicate leads to meaningful, lasting change.
Speaking ahead of the SUMMIT, Eibhlin de Barra, Director at Young at Art said: “We saw first-hand through Listen to Learn how creativity can unlock children’s voices in a way that feels safe, inclusive and empowering. The ideas the children shared were thoughtful, honest and often deeply revealing.
“It’s vital that we don’t just hear those voices in a workshop setting but carry them through into impactful decision making.”
Laura Feeney, Head of Partnerships at Save the Children NI said: “We see children as active individuals with their own distinct rights. This project gave us all a chance to listen and learn from them, and we’re excited to share insights at the NICVA SUMMIT. As an organisation, we are committed to providing resources and support to empower children to become agents of change in sharing what could help improve their childhoods.”
The SUMMIT comes at a critical moment for the sector, as organisations face increasing financial and operational pressures, alongside rising demand for services in communities across Northern Ireland. It will provide a timely opportunity to share insight, highlight impact and explore collective responses to the challenges ahead.
At a time of significant challenge for the sector, the event promises to shine a spotlight on the charity and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland, celebrating its resilience and shaping key conversations for the future.
For the full SUMMIT programme and to book tickets, visit: www.nicvasummit.org.
