Freedom of Voice
Freedom of Voice is a young refugee led participation project which empowers young people to reflect on and share their experiences, hopes, and aspirations, to increase awareness and improve outcomes for young refugees in the UK.
The project enables young people to build new knowledge and life skills, grow in confidence, feel listened to, respected, heard and able to create positive social change. It's also an opportunity to make new friends and have fun.
Click HERE to watch our collection of films from this project.
2019-20
Freedom of Voice Digital Storytelling Project
Between 2019 - 2020, with thanks to support from Leeds Community Foundation and The Oglesby Charitable Trust, we have run a digital storytelling project in partnership with Lawnswood School, Leeds.
The digital storytelling project came about when students interviewed Gulwali about his journey and experiences as a child refugee. Many of the students told us they have their own migration stories that they would like to share, and they would like to be more involved in helping us raise awareness.
We went on to work with a group of 14 students, empowering them to learn about digital storytelling, and slowly creating a safe and supportive space for them to share what they felt most comfortable with and what was most important to them.
The finished collection of 14 individual films are freely available from our Resources Page.
The primary target audience is staff and students in education settings, although the films have also been used by colleagues in a wide range of third and public sector organisations as part of staff development in understanding and meeting the needs of children in migration.
The films include themes such as reasons for leaving home, migration journeys, first impressions of the UK, settling into school, challenges and ways to stay strong, bullying, feeling welcome and supported, key messages for students and teachers, future hopes and aspirations.
Thank you to our funders:
 Reading a story about seeking refuge and intercultural friendship to class 1 at Otley All Saints Primary. |  Preparing materials for the art class delivered to a class of students with learning disabilities |  Leading an ice breaker to help the group relax before we deliver our creative art workshop for students with learning disabilities. |
|---|---|---|
 Stepping out of our comfort zone, gaining work experience delivering a creative arts workshop for students with learning disabilities. |  Learning how to story board as part of our digital story telling project. |  Delivering a workshop on refugee inclusion in education, for trainee teachers who were visiting as part of a study abroad semester from the USA. |
 Planning content for our digial story telling project |  Gathering content ideas for our digital story telling project. |  Filming for our new digital storytelling project, sharing our stories to promote the inclusion of young refugees in schools and wider communities. |
 Filming for our new digital storytelling project, sharing our stories to promote the inclusion of young refugees in schools and wider communities. |  Visiting Green Meadows specialist school for students with disabilities to meet with staff and students before writing bespoke refugee awareness workshops for each class. |  Planning meeting with Nola to develop new content for our refugee awareness workshops for local schools. |
 My Bright Kites first youth-led multi-agency one day training event, hosted in Leeds, July 2019 |  A child's illustrations to go along with his story. |  A child's illustration to go with his digital story. |
 A child's illustration to go with his digital story. |  Sharing our personal testimonials of our journeys to safety with primary school children. |  Writing a new refugee awareness workshop with Nola, ensuring refugee stories and experiences are at the centre of all we do. |
 Sharing our work as part of Migration Yorkshires regional event to recruit new foster carers. |  Sharing our personal experience at Migration Yorkshires 'Welcoming Young Refugees' launch event. |  Delivering Refugee Awareness workshops to secondary school students. |
 Artwork by Lana, aged 16, to accompany her personal story of moving from Syria to Leeds for safety. |  Artwork by Lana, aged 16, to accompany her personal story of moving from Syria to Leeds for safety. |  Our training team for our event 'Supporting and Empowering us as Young Refugees' in Leeds, July 2019 |
 Delivering refugee awareness workshops to primary school children at Otley All Saints C of E Primary. |  Students at Barnsley College watch a film produced by a young person involved with My Bright Kite. |