Aim 4: Research and Advocacy

Study On Digital And Cultural Access For Children And Young People In The Northwest

Kids’ Own recognised the huge impact of Covid-19 on all aspects of children’s lives and wanted to explore the impact of the pandemic on children and young people’s engagement with the arts in particular. On behalf of Kids’ Own, Children’s rights researcher Dr Amy Hanna, designed and facilitated a piece of youth-led research exploring digital and cultural access for children and young people in the northwest. With support from Kids’ Own, Amy established a Youth Advisory Group to advise on the research and how it should be conducted. A group of research participants met with Amy and Kids’ Own Project Manager Ciara, to share their thoughts and experiences on their engagement with and access to the arts during the pandemic. This research will be published in 2022.

Funders: RTE Does Comic Relief; Community Foundation for Ireland

Participants: Children and young people age 8-16 living in the northwest

Numbers: 16 participants

Dates: Throughout 2021

Venue: online

Independent Evaluation Of Young Writers Project

Our cross-border Young Writers project has been running since 2018 and has become an integral part of Kids’ Own’s yearly programme. As part of our 2021 programme, Kids’ Own received funding to conduct independent evaluation of this project and its impact on participants. Dr Bryonie Reid attended various Young Writers workshops and spoke with participants about their experiences and thoughts on the project over summer 2021. This research will be published in 2022.

Funders: Department of Foreign Affairs, Reconciliation Fund

Participants: young people aged 13-17

Numbers: 14

Dates: Throughout 2021

Venue: online

Research Alongside New Publishing Initiative With Traveller And Roma Children

Research was a key part of new Kids’ Own project ‘Our Lives, Our Voices’ with Traveller and Roma children in Cork. Following an open call for a researcher to measure the impact of the this creative arts and publishing project on participants from a rights-based perspective, Dr Tamsin Cavaliero and Dr Susan McDonnell, both based in IT Sligo, were selected. Their research began in November 2021 and will continue in 2022.

Partners: Cork Traveller Visibility Group; Irish Traveller Movement; Cork STAR project

Funders: The Toy Show Appeal; Community Foundation of Ireland

Participants: Children from Traveller and Roma communities

Participant numbers: 32

Dates: Autumn 2021 – ongoing

Venue: Cork Community Artlink

Consultation With Children And Young People On Behalf Of The Arts Council Of Ireland

In autumn and winter 2021, Kids’ Own worked with the Arts Council of Ireland to facilitate consultations with children and young people so that their voices can be heard and taken into account in the work that the Arts Council does in the future. Kids’ Own established two youth advisory groups: one group of children aged 7-12, and one group of 13-18 year olds to advise on the creation and design of a questionnaire that the Arts Council will use to ensure children across Ireland will have a say in the work that they do and in shaping the arts for children in Ireland. The children and young people involved took part in creative activities and conversations with artist Vanya Lambrecht Ward and children’s rights researcher Dr Amy Hanna, to help inform the creation of this survey for other children and young people.