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Name Culture Cares conference
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Organisation Arts Council England
Care-experienced young woman Lucy James described Derby Theatre’s Culture Cares conference as a “celebration of everything care-experienced young people have to offer”.
The Culture Cares conference took place on 16 November 2021, and platformed insightful workshops, presentations and talks about how art and culture not only positively impact the lives of young people in care, but also create career pathways for care leavers.
This was the second Culture Cares conference run by Derby Theatre, following the success of their initial event in 2018. This time, the conference expanded and collaborated with 10 care-experienced young people, who helped inform, structure and host the conference.
Commissioned by Arts Council England, Culture Cares staged a performance co-created by care-experienced young people. Called Riverside, it was a collaboration between director Toni Mcelhatton, writer Laura Lindow and care-experienced young people in Derby.
The story is set on Derby’s riverside and depicts a journey of courage, self-discovery and resilience. The story follows three characters, accompanied by two bickering sea turtles, as they dive into the Derby riverside, facing their demons and taking control of their futures.
James, alongside fellow care-experienced young person Sam Porter, were given the challenge of co-hosting the entire conference.
“The conference went better than I expected, it was full of enjoyment, enthusiasm, and an honour to be able to co-host,” said Porter. “Co-hosting was very enjoyable and a great experience, doing something that I have never done before. The conference allowed others to express a variety of thoughts that care-experienced young people wanted to get across, such as not all young people in care are bad.”
The conference also included talks from keynote speakers, including Sophie Willan, Bafta-award winning writer and actor; Darren Henley, the chief executive of Arts Council England; and Ashley John-Baptiste, an acclaimed BBC broadcaster and presenter who grew up in the care system from the age of four.
“As a child growing up in care, music became a sacred outlet for me,” said John-Baptiste. “It was my place of expression, safety and making sense of my trauma. Creativity allowed me to navigate the care system, and it’s remarkable that this Culture Cares conference delves into that important intersection of care and culture.”
The conference worked in partnership with Esmée Fairbairn’s Young People Leaving Care funding stream. The foundation offers financial support and knowledge sharing to causes that challenge structural inequality for care leavers.
Derby Theatre summarised the conference’s mission, stating: “Young people in the care system have something to say. They want us to know that they are more than just a case field written by someone else.”
MY VIEW
By Lucy James, conference co-host
Co-hosting the Culture Cares conference was a wonderful opportunity to stand among many incredible organisations, communities and individuals who work hard to platform care-experienced voices through arts and culture.
The event was a celebration of everything care-experienced young people have to offer, supported by an inspirational line-up of guest speakers who addressed their call to action for developing a strong bond between the culture and care sectors.
My personal highlight was the Riverside performance. This creative process allowed young people the freedom to openly voice their experiences and needs in a safe, productive space, and aptly positioned an audience of change makers on the receiving end of their message.
Witnessing the pride and joy of every young person who contributed to the performance, and the emotional effect their work incited in those who have the authority to make systemic change, gives me hope and encouragement that there are spaces for care-experienced young people to be shown all of the love, support and opportunities we deserve to exercise our talents and passions.
