The campaign, supported by the Articulate Cultural Trust in partnership with Orkney Islands Council, aims to highlight young people’s right to express themselves and have their views heard, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The posters, installed behind the Kirkwall Travel Centre, feature bold messaging and strong visuals crafted to spotlight the perspectives of care-experienced young people.
Orkney Builders supported the project by arranging the use of public space and donating resources, while The Orcadian printed the large-scale artworks. This initiative follows on from a successful Artivism programme in Glasgow, which empowered young people to discuss and exercise their rights through creative participation, including graffiti, painting, collage, and creative writing.
The combination of words and images in the Orkney collection shares raw and uncensored views, highlighting the young people’s feelings, boldness, and aspirations for positive change. This project is a chance for them to express themselves and have their voices heard through contemporary public art, as they often feel injustice in the perceived understanding of what it means to be care-experienced.
“"This project is a chance for our young people to express themselves and have their voice heard through powerful pieces of contemporary public art. Often times, they feel injustice in the perceived understanding of what it means to be care experienced but they don’t always know how to frame this. The young people who contributed to this process have something honest to share, something worth listening to – art has been a pathway for them to do this."
Care Experience Week is a national celebration for the care community, and Orkney has marked the occasion for the third year. This year’s theme, 'Forward to the Future', has inspired collaborators to support young people in expressing themselves, building public awareness, and challenging stigma in a visible and vibrant manner. The young people involved ask simply: 'stand beside us!'
