Past projects

BE SEEN, BE HEARD 2003-2006
BE SEEN, BE HEARD! was a call to action for young people on the Isle of Wight to have their opinion heard through participatory evaluation.

The three year project was commissioned by the Children's Fund which is part of the Government's strategy to tackle child poverty and social exclusion. The evaluation asked young people to consider the place where they live and the changes that they would make to make it a better place to live. Their suggestions covered a range of areas from health, education and social services policy. These suggestions were then presented to the local council to consider and take action upon.

Throughout the evaluation, PPP artists, Ali Campbell and Caoimhe McAvinchey worked with Ben Cave, a Geography Research Fellow at QMUL, to design a program for young people and the adults who work with them. The first phase of the program culminated in a week-long performance residency and performance installation working with young people from:

• The Isle of Wight Young Carers - an organisation which supports young people who have considerable responsibilities in caring for a parent or sibling.
• LACES - an organisation which provides support for are currently being 'looked after' in foster care.
• Connexions - an organisation which supports young people who making the transition from school to the next stage of their lives.

The event was attended by the families and friends of the young people who participated and members of the local council who make decisions that affect them. This event also launched the Local Preventative Strategy, an initiative to encourage different government departments to work more closely together. This was a concrete example of how government policy and everyday practice concerning children and young people can be successfully combined.