Youth Participation

Youth Participation

Youth engagement begins at the consultation level in relation to policy and strategy as quoted above and in the production of 11 European Youth Goals including number five, Youth Mental Health, and well-being (European Commission, 2022). This must continue throughout the development of any role the creative and cultural sector has in helping improve the mental health of young people at the policy level.

We emphasize the need for Youth participation throughout the process and joined-up implementation must take place. The Lundy model of participation15 focuses on the concepts of Space, Voice, Audience, and Influence to describe the child or young person’s right to participation informed by article 12 on the UN Convention rights of the Child.16

Figure 2 The Lundy model of child participation, Lundy, 2013

This model could easily apply to Cultural and arts-based activities. We recommend establishing or continuing Youth Advisory Boards at the national member state level and local levels with continued participation and necessary relevant action to Engage, connect and empower through the arts in the context of Mental Health. These boards have a place in cross-sectoral collaboration networks.

Young people must be involved in the Co-design of programs at all levels. For this approach to be embedded and joined up implementation to be achieved it requires political buy-in and structural support, organization, management, and sufficient capacity building at the grassroots level for meaningful sustainability.