Original Article
Seen and Heard:
The Long-Term
Impact of Arts Projects
on Young People Living
in Poverty
Briege Nugent1
YOUNG
30(5) 511–524, 2022
© 2022 SAGE Publications and
YOUNG Editorial Group
Reprints and permissions:
in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india
DOI: 10.1177/11033088221089183
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and Kate Deacon2
Abstract
This article presents unique findings from research in Scotland of the long-term
impact of arts projects on young people living in poverty. Through the support of
creative skilled practitioners sensitive to their challenges, these initiatives provided
spaces of inspiration for young people to feel seen and heard, and their area not
completely forgotten. Crucially, this promoted bridging social capital or access
to opportunities outside of their local environment. The young people, reflecting
more than five years on from their engagement, reported that it had increased their
wellbeing, confidence, hopes for the future, reduced isolation, and for some, had
opened up career pathways, thus mediating against some of the effects of poverty.
In an increasingly challenging funding environment and uncertain times, it is vital that
the impact of the arts is understood in policy contexts, and these are accessible to
young people, from all walks of life as a right.
Keywords
Culture, education, leisure, marginalization, young people, networks, space and place
Introduction
Around 5.5 million people live in Scotland and even before the pandemic a million
were living in poverty (McCormick & Hay, 2020). The level of inequalities is clear,
with the top 10% of the population in 2016–2019 having 24% more income than the
1
2
Independent Researcher, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Media Education, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Corresponding author:
Briege Nugent, Independent Researcher, Edinburgh EH3 9NU, United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland.
E-mail: briegenugentresearch@gmail.com
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bottom 40% combined (Scottish Government, 2020); 19% of adults and 24% of
children (230,000 children each year) were living in relative poverty after housing
costs (Scottish Government, 2020). It is estimated that 65% of children in relative
poverty after housing costs (150,000 children each year) were living in working
households (Scottish Government, 2020).
The causes of poverty are a ‘complex blend’ of structural issues relating to macroeconomic factors such as the labour and housing market, social and political factors
such as the social security system, and individual factors related to capacities and
choices (Treanor et al., 2017). Particular groups, such as children of lone parents,
those who have a family member in prison, are effected by disability or are from
an ethnic minority background are at heightened risk of living in poverty, because
of the lack of social support structures and discrimination they experience (Cebula
et al., 2021; Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2021; Treanor, 2020). Addressing poverty
is multi-faceted but there are clear ways in which this can be challenged, through, for
example income maximization, lower cost of housing, an effective benefits system,
improving education standards and promoting long-term economic growth (Joseph
Rowntree Foundation, 2021; Treanor et al., 2017). Connections through strong
families, communities and support are also highlighted in the research on poverty as
being important to mediate against the effects (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2016;
Saracostti, 2007; Treanor, 2020). This article focuses on the role of arts projects
in impoverished areas and the long-term impact these can have on young people
to promote connections, strengthening communities and in turn mediating against
some of the effects of poverty.
Putnam (2000), in his landmark book Bowling Alone, reflected on the disappearance of parks and local youth centres, and argued these were visible manifestations
of the breakdown of communities. Putnam (2000) defined the importance of connections between people, to achieve a sense of belonging as ‘bonding capital’, and
connections to opportunities as ‘bridging social capital’. In essence to be able to
cultivate ‘weak ties’ that leads to opportunities one must have a strong foundation
of support (Darcy et al., 2014). Feeling attached to or engaged in the community
also makes people more likely to feel part of wider society (Putnam, 1993). This
article will show the value of arts projects run by skilled professionals who promote
inclusion by helping young people overcome barriers to engagement. It emerged
from the findings that these arts projects provided much welcomed space where
young people felt a sense of belonging, supported, encouraged and recognized their
potential, sometimes opening up a whole sector of education and work they had
otherwise not known. In essence it was the source of bonding and bridging capital.
It will however also be argued that inclusion and social capital are not automatically
acquired just by bringing people together, but instead are generated by and through
skilled artists that encourage young people to recognize their strengths and talents,
and work hard to develop connections to link people in with opportunities.
Cashback for Creativity and the Impact of the Arts
CashBack for Creativity was set up in 2008 by the Scottish Government’s CashBack
to reinvest money or assents seized by the authorities from people who had committed
crime back into communities, to benefit Scotland’s young people. The programme
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had a specific focus on providing access to high quality experiences in all art forms
to those living in areas of deprivation and reached over 30,000 young people. The
evidence base built over this time through evaluations showed that even short-term
‘light touch’ projects had wide ranging benefits with participants building new skills,
having improved confidence and self-esteem, affecting whole communities (Pza
Consulting, 2011). Sustaining engagement from the ‘hardest to reach groups’ was
also shown to be resource intensive and best achieved through longer-term investment
(Arrivo Consulting, 2015). The structural challenges young people faced, some of
whom were in acute poverty required staff to be sensitive and to find ways of
enabling them to access projects (BOP Consulting, 2017).
There is a growing body of wider literature on the positive impact of the arts on
young people’s mental and physical wellbeing (Ennis & Tonkin, 2017; Oberle et al.,
2019; Patterson & Perlstein, 2011; Wheatley & Bickerton, 2017). Engagement in the
arts helps young people to increase their confidence, develop positive relationships,
improves team-working, communication, leadership skills, resilience, levels of
happiness, and promotes positive physical and mental health (Harkins & Moore,
2019, p. 4). It can be a way of giving those who are marginalized a medium for
expression and therefore can be a form of social justice (de Quadros, 2017). Youth
arts activities can generate a space of wellbeing (Ennis & Tonkin, 2018). Artists
create different types of spaces to educational contexts, which enable vulnerable
young people to acquire social, creative and critical skills (Sellman, 2015). Echoing
the findings from the Cashback evaluations, research on the impact of the arts in
impoverished areas shows that poverty can be ‘invisible’ and it is important that
practitioners are sensitive to the challenges young people face, with some projects,
for example, including food provision (Watts et al., 2017).
In a review of the social impact of arts, Taylor et al. (2015, p. 9) observed that
the ‘best evidenced relationship between arts participation and social impacts
relates to social capital…cultural participation can contribute to social relationships,
community cohesion, and/or make communities feel safer and stronger’. However,
as also observed by Sellman (2015) it is important to unpack further understanding
around group formation and inclusion. The evidence base therefore shows that it
is not just about the mediums but also the connections young people forge through
projects that make a positive difference.
Methods
The study was carried out by an independent researcher and the organization,
Media Education, that use participatory film, podcasts and the arts to enable people
to tell their story, ideally with the view to impact services and/or policy.1 The
research was an appreciative inquiry, focusing on the best of ‘what is’ (Preskill &
Catsambas 2006, p. 2), and on the discovery and appreciation of peak moments of
long-term impacts. The research adopted a modified Success Case Method (SCM).
SCM sets out to identify the most and least successful cases and examines them in
detail (Birkenhoff, 2002), but in this study only the most successful were focused
on. In practice, this meant identifying six organizations across Scotland that had
worked with Cashback over the ten years and also across the mediums of digital,
dance and music. Personnel within these organizations involved in the arts projects
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were then asked to approach individuals they felt the project had a long-term
impact on to take part.
Thirteen young people aged between 16 and 22 from across Scotland participated,
who apart from one young person had completed projects at least five years
beforehand. Five now worked for the organizations that once supported them, three
sat on the Board and volunteered, two still engaged with the projects and the other
three remained in good contact with the creative practitioners. Eight were pursuing
careers in the arts and the other five continued to engage recreationally. Eleven
took part in semi-structured interviews and four of which were supported to make
their own films, unpacking further the impact the projects had on their lives. One of
these films also included the participation of two additional young people and was
a group production. Media Education were sensitive to the needs of participants and
promoted participation by offering to make practical arrangements on the young
people’s behalf, including covering travel costs and providing food.
The three individual films explored in subtle and nuanced ways the impact of
developing skills in photography, filmmaking and journalism, respectively, and
how this contributed to the development of their creative identities. In the group
film the focus was on how the project helped young people overcome anxiety by
providing a welcoming space for them to socialize and create work together. Just as
the young people used film to articulate feelings that were difficult to verbalize, it
is challenging to convey the emotion and energy expressed by the films themselves.
As well as the interviews, the key messages from the films were brought together
and thematically analysed. Drawing on the work of Nowell et al. (2017) this
involved six phases, namely—becoming familiar with the data; generating initial
codes; searching for themes; reviewing themes; defining and naming themes; and
finally producing the report. The young people all came together for a day to show
their films, ‘walk through’ the report and refine the key themes. Following this
event that took place in August 2019 the report was presented at an online national
conference during the pandemic in January 2020. Attendees were representatives
from local authorities, government bodies and the third sector from across Scotland.
Three young people presented their films and another a digital magazine. All took
part in a question and answer session, and felt not only seen but also heard through
this opportunity. As recognized by Article 12 of the UNCRC, young people have a
right to express their views and for these to be weighted. It was apparent from the
beginning of this study that young people actually have lots to say, and the arts can
help those views be elicited and heard.
The limitations of this study are that this has been reliant on participants taking
time and being willing to share their stories. Participants defined for themselves the
level of information they wished to provide. In some instances, therefore, they chose
to gloss over certain issues. A modified SCM was used as this was an appreciative
inquiry, but it would have been useful to have the chance to explore those cases
where the arts did not have the desired impact. The main issue though in practical
terms of doing this, is that it would be unlikely the arts projects would have remained
in touch with those who stopped engaging years on. Ideally, for the future it would
be beneficial to do a longitudinal study exploring this area further, tracking a group
of young people to understand better the reasons for most and least impact. It is not
claimed that the young people we interviewed are representative, however, their
Nugent and Deacon
515
accounts give important insights into the lasting impact of engagement with arts
projects on the lives of those who live in poverty.
Results: Key Themes
Access to Arts as a Way of Mediating Against the Effects of Poverty
and Promoting Wellbeing
The shame and stigma people feel about living in poverty means that it can be too
difficult to discuss and as a result can remain hidden from research (Walker, 2014).
Seven young people interviewed briefly discussed the effects of poverty and young
people from one organization observed that they live in one of the most deprived
areas in Scotland. They described how the arts project provided a space for them to
physically and mentally ‘get away’, and to access activities and opportunities
otherwise unavailable. The creative dimension of the projects was not just a tool for
engagement, but a crucial way to help young people feel inspired to try new things
and develop personally and creatively. Participants described how they valued the
chance to engage in creative expression, be it through dance, music, film, radio or
journalism.
The funding provided helped these communities understand that they have not
been completely forgotten. At the session one group designed a poster of safe spaces
in their community and the arts projects, as found in other research were viewed as
being central to their wellbeing and a way for them to feel connected to the place
(Ennis & Tonkin, 2017). One young person at the online conference argued that
during the pandemic the arts have been one of the few welcome ‘escapes’ for young
people.
Six of the young people interviewed were working full time, however, finances
remained a struggle, and highlighted how difficult it is for young people growing up
in poverty to get out of it. All thirteen were hopeful of a better future away from the
grip of poverty.
As well as the benefits of the arts being clear, the young people were passionate
about access to the arts for all young people being a right. As one young man
pointedly asked, ‘Without culture, what are we?’ In the conference a concern was
voiced around the uncertainty of funding for the arts and the need to recognize that
these are not just after-school club activities for some people, but a lifeline.
Reducing Isolation and Loneliness Through Building Relationships
and Connections
Teuton’s (2018) review of social isolation and loneliness in Scotland states 60% of
young people reported feeling lonely, and those economically disadvantaged and
LGBT+ young people are most at risk of isolation, poor mental and physical health
(Teuton, 2018). It was striking how isolated and lonely all of those interviewed
reported feeling at the time of first coming into contact with the organizations. Three
have autism and before coming to the arts project one of the young people had been
a chronic self-harmer and suicidal. Five described having few to no friends at ages
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11 and 12 and felt school had given up on them, and had already begun to lose hope
about their future. They had stopped going to school and the arts projects offered an
alternative way of learning and engaging, as well as starting anew. Two lived in a
rural area and access to projects was a challenge, with Cashback as one of the few
initiatives available.
I was going through a very difficult time, difficulties at school. I was only at school 2 hours
a week, but this was so different from school…I was in a really low place and I do not want
to talk about that because it is too painful for me, but I hated it, I used to say, ‘why was I
born autistic?’ (Lisa)
Four of the young people interviewed were also the main carer of their parent who
was long-term ill, and it was only through the arts projects that they met other young
people like them. An additional four described in their own words having ‘struggled’
with their ‘sexual identity’, which had made them feel very alone, and in the initial
stages of ‘coming out’ felt it was only at these projects where they were accepted.
For the other young people, their feelings of isolation were linked to family issues,
some skimming over this simply saying ‘there was a lot going on’. Whilst each
young person’s circumstances differed, some were able to form common identities
with other young people through their participation.
The relationships developed between the young people and staff was shown to
be crucial and this research echoes findings from other studies to highlight that staff
being sensitive to issues around poverty, for example, by providing food or budgeting
for activities, made a positive difference to engagement (Watts et al., 2017). These
projects brought young people together within communities, often working together
to achieve common goals and shared interests. The three young people with
autism described how it was their interest in the medium—in these cases films and
music—that got them to attend the arts projects in the first place, and through these
experiences that they first made friends and began to work comfortably in groups.
All felt that without the support given, their lives would now be very different. They
reported coming to the organizations, feeling safe, accepted and achieving a sense
of belonging.
Dealing with or Escaping from Home and Family Issues
The ‘family issues’ manifested themselves in many ways and in two of the most
extreme cases the young people had become homeless because their family could
not accept their sexuality. According to the Albert Kennedy Trust (2015) 77% of
LGBT+ young people in England who have become homeless report that the main
causal factor is ‘coming out’ to parents, and as yet there is no comparable research
carried out in Scotland. Both young people praised the staff for the practical and
emotional support given and connecting them to housing services. Both felt that
without this support things would have been impossible and having somewhere to
go and be away from all the other stresses was really valued.
Going to X, there were times when I was able to put on the music I wanted to listen to
and talk about whatever I wanted. I could leave everything behind when I came in there.
(Kelly)
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One of these young people now has a good relationship with their family but this
took time to build. For the other young person, the family issues continue, and she
simply said, ‘I do not really speak to my mum anymore’.
Dealing with Anxiety
As mentioned, some participants made a film about anxiety and how the arts project
helped them overcome what they described as the ‘voices in their head’. In the day
together prior to the pandemic, the young people spoke openly about anxiety and
mental health issues, identifying that the demand for mental health services even
then was being outstripped. Two young people in particular described their anxiety
in the beginning of their engagement as being debilitating, with one young woman
unable to go into the building on her own for almost a year. They explained that
although they had made a lot of progress, they still had ‘bad days’, although these
were much less frequent than they had been in the past.
Gaining Confidence and Building Self-Worth
Many spoke about engagement with the projects having taken them ‘out of their
shell’, to build confidence in their own individual identities and self-worth.
It did change my standards and what I am okay with and want to do…. Instead of thinking
‘this is out of my league’, it makes you think ‘you can do it’. (Sam)
Seven interviewees spoke about growing up feeling like they had not been ‘good
enough’, and described how they would ‘disappear’ in a crowd and these projects
made them recognize instead that they matter.
All discussed feeling cared for through the projects, and some even mentioned
feeling loved. One of the key aspects of this was being trusted to do well and
having access to special experiences and quality engagement through expert
creative facilitation. Several young people described the value of being praised by a
professional in the arts, performing in an exclusive venue, being part of a production
team or being trusted to use expensive equipment.
Some young people observed that in the projects power imbalances are flattened,
with creative facilitators working alongside them, rather than in the role of a teacher
or other authority figure. For other young people, the facilitators’ passion was seen
to differentiate them from their teachers.
Finding Purpose and Direction
A common theme that emerged from the interviews with young people was their loss
of hope at a young age. Three reflected that a major impact of their engagement was
finding a sense of direction and feeling better able to make positive decisions about
their futures.
I am hard on myself. Before when I was going through my sad times I did not think about
my future, whereas now I feel I have a different future. The decisions I have made—they
have given me advice and supported me. (Jordan)
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All reported being encouraged by staff to pursue their goals, with some suggesting
that they did not receive career support from other adults. One young man felt
strongly that careers services advice in schools could and should do more to promote
the arts. For five participants, the support provided by staff at the projects led them
to go to university and for two others to college to pursue filming and journalism.
Through providing tuition, resources, connections, artistic purpose and opportunities
for achievement, these projects have made the arts not only accessible but, for eight
young people, opened up career pathways that would otherwise have remained
closed. Those young people who have pursued routes outside the arts also reported
that the praise they received, and the confidence they built through their participation
in the projects, were instrumental in enabling them to make positive decisions about
their futures. This emphasizes how the projects act as centres of social bridging
capital (Putnam, 2000), with staff acting as what could be referred to as ‘meso
brokers’, supporting young people to recognize their potential, make connections
and seize opportunities beyond their micro local environment.
Shaping Identities
For several young people, the projects offered reprieve from external stresses, such
as caring responsibilities and other family issues, and periods of living in homeless
accommodation. They were held in colourful and engaging spaces, which often
stood in stark juxtaposition to the poverty around them, and provided a place for
young people to prioritize their own needs, relaxation, and identities surrounded
by people who gave them encouragement and positive affirmation, or ‘recognition’
(Barry, 2016).
When you come through those doors you can just be you, you are not a carer anymore, you
are a teenager. (Finn)
It has helped that I am accepted here. I feel I belong here. I feel part of it. It is very unusual
for people with autism. I wish this was everywhere. (Lisa)
Life is not black and white. Art projects help you find new colours, your true colours
within you. (Young Person from the Reflect and Learn Session)
One young person reflected that ‘in the arts there is no right or wrong answer and so
you feel included’. The self-acceptance and confidence achieved is directly linked to
the young people being able to pursue their goals in life. This research gives weight
to the assertion by BOP Consulting (2017) that the intrinsic benefits to doing the arts
are directly linked to the extrinsic benefits. Even those participants who were no
longer in direct contact with the organizations reported that their participation in
these projects had enabled them to build foundations for their future and had become
part of their identity.
I think with X, it is a great foundation, they stay with you, it does not impact any less
on your life, they are such a great foundation for other things that although they are less
involved in your life, because that is the foundation level that got you on the path that you
are on, that has become the most crucial thing. (Laura)
It is part of us. (Sam)
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Hopes for the Future
All spoke about being hopeful for the future. Five, who were working for the
organizations they engaged with felt that this demonstrated the investment staff had
in working with them. Two wanted to continue in their roles, and the third had begun
to think about scaling back their time with the organization in order to take up other
opportunities. Those in college and university also identified their experiences at the
projects as having been crucial to their progression. Some felt that without this
support they might even have become involved in crime. One young woman in
particular spoke openly about how her brother had been getting involved in trouble
with the police when she was most impressionable, and having a steer away from
following his lead was really important. The young people’s testimonies demonstrated
that having the motivation and confidence to make positive decisions was crucial to
rebuilding their hope for the future. BOP Consulting (2017) highlight that it can take
young people significant time to build the confidence and insight needed to form
self-directed goals.
Attributing Positive Outcomes
Given each participant’s unique and complex circumstances, it is not possible to
attribute outcomes to a single cause, however, it is clear that their engagement with
the projects played a key role in generating positive outcomes. The findings suggest
that with support, participants became drivers of their own positive outcomes and
they recognized this. When asked to put a figure on how much of their success they
attributed to the support they received, participants gave a range of responses,
attributing between 30% and 100%, but broadly agreeing that it was very difficult to
quantify.
When I think about it, it is a lot of my own determination that has got me to where I am
today, but they showed me that my school or postcode does not define who I am and what
I do. I went to a school where it was said that the bad kids go, but it is not the case, and I
am showing that is not the case. I would say 50% is down to my personal ambition, 30%
to X and 20% the other organization. (Kelly)
All interviewees felt that without this support they would be in a very different place
emotionally, and in some cases also financially. They surmised that they would be
isolated, unemployed or underemployed, or in very poor physical and mental health.
In short, the impact of being involved in these projects for the young people should
not be underestimated. As Lisa commented in the online conference:
It is more than just an out of school activity for me. It is a lifeline for a lot of us. (Lisa)
Discussion
The young people who participated in this study were aged between 16 and 22 years
old, and the concept of ‘liminality’, that is, the state of being ‘betwixt and between’,
and a position of relative powerlessness, is a valuable description of young people in
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the ‘transition to adulthood’ (Barry, 2006; Ennis & Tonkin, 2017; Turner, 1964,
p. 49). After ten years of austerity and now a pandemic, the emphasis on powerlessness
is especially relevant. It is also important to be aware of the uniqueness of each
person’s situation and intersectionality. For example, there are particular groups
such as young people who have been in care, who are vulnerable to poverty (Scottish
Government 2018), and as discussed in this research—gender, sexuality, having
additional support needs and living in a rural area intersects with poverty in a
different way too.
The young people, speaking five years and more since their engagement in
the projects stressed the positive difference made to their lives, to build selfconfidence, self-worth and make friends or build bonding capital, and for some
with neurodiversity issues this was especially valued. The projects provided
physical and mental spaces to promote well-being (Ennis & Tonkin, 2017),
and against a backdrop of poverty, these were also visually and metaphorically
places of joy and as one young person described it, helped them to see in
‘colour’. Barry (2016, p. 2) describes recognition as the ‘giving and receiving of
acknowledgement, encouragement and affirmation to promote social identity and
respect’, and this is what the young people felt was achieved through interactions
with staff. Considering the fragility of identity at this age and hopelessness they
otherwise felt, these positive interactions are crucial to supporting young people
to achieve self-acceptance, belonging and affirm their place in society. The young
people in these studies articulated how it was through these projects that, as well as
the benefits generated, they recognized their voices mattered and were passionate
about advocating for these opportunities to be accessible to all young people, as a
right to express themselves.
The projects taught young people to learn new skills and opened up pathways
to education and employment or bridging social capital they otherwise may not
have accessed. The lack of flows and exit signs in impoverished areas creates a
‘stickiness’ of place restricting mobility (Allen & Hollingworth, 2013). Young
people can become ‘trapped by space’ (Green & White, 2007), where they are
unwilling to or have a mental barrier about seeing or moving beyond their local
area and thus restrict their opportunities. The bridging social capital offered through
these projects is immeasurable. Importantly though, inclusion and the generation
of social capital is not automatic just by bringing people together, it must be
planned and worked for, and critically this has been achieved through sensitive
and talented staff who in particular have helped young people to overcome barriers
to engagement linked to poverty. It is contended that the creative facilitators have
acted as what is defined here as ‘meso brokers’, that is, supporting young people to
find the exits beyond their micro environment. The benefits of young people being
able to come together and supportive staff is brought into sharp focus, particularly
as during the pandemic such connections have not been possible in the same way
(McMellon & MacLachlan, 2021). The young people stressed that these arts
projects are not just something ‘nice’ to do, but made a real tangible difference to
their personal wellbeing and life chances. By having these spaces the young people
also had hope that the areas they grew up had not been completely forgotten, and
therefore funding for these projects acted as a form of public recognition too of
their existence.
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521
Conclusion
The analysis of this research as well as the wider research base shows the value of
arts projects to mediate some of the effects of poverty, creating spaces of hope,
safety, belonging and connections so that potential could be capitalized on. This
study highlights the uniqueness of individuals’ situations and how this intersects
with poverty in complex ways, creating other layers of disadvantage. Crucially, this
research emphasizes the importance of skilled sensitive professionals who understand
the barriers young people living in poverty face. Inclusion, ‘bonding’ and ‘bridging’
capital does not just happen, it needs to be thought about, planned and worked for.
Alston (2019, p. 22), the United Nations special rapporteur described poverty as
‘a political choice’. At present the focus is very much on the impact of COVID-19
and this has exposed levels of social inequality, but it is important not to forget that
ten years of austerity preceded this. This previous decade marked cuts to statutory
services, closure of community based support, welfare reform and housing
insecurity which has led to more families experiencing destitution and more
complex needs (Galloway, 2020). The impact of poverty is often under-reported
because of the shame and stigma felt (Walker, 2014). The struggle pervades all
aspects of people’s lives, to the extent that it has been described as a permanent
form of lockdown, with people unable to afford even the basics let alone a social
life (Includem, 2021). Corr (2014) describes the ‘social milieu’ experienced by
young people in deprived areas having ‘nothing to do’ and this also being directly
linked to reasons for offending.
The young people interviewed spoke openly about feeling hopeless prior to
their engagement with the arts and some were getting into trouble; others wanted
to end their lives. However, this downward trajectory was challenged and changed
through the quality opportunities given, and the chance given to meet others, to
feel a sense of community and belonging. The areas where these young people
live are the hardest hit by the pandemic, were the hardest hit by austerity and
prior to this de-industrialization. The funding provided by these projects helped
them to understand that they have not been totally forgotten, to feel seen and heard.
The need to address inequalities is clear and it should not be the case that young
people report, that it is only within arts projects that they feel safe and encouraged,
however, this is their reality. It is imperative that the long-term impact of quality arts
projects to mediate some of the effects of poverty are acknowledged, and they are
given the place they deserve in terms of funding and within policy contexts. These
projects are not just ‘nice things to do’, but have real tangible impacts as reported
here and in other research. The young people in this study also stressed that these
opportunities should be accessible to all, as a right.
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank the reviewers for their constructive feedback.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship
and/or publication of this article.
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Funding
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship,
and/or publication of this article: This research was funded by Creativity Scotland’s Cashback
for Creativity.
ORCID iD
Briege Nugent
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5745-217X
Note
1. To learn more about Media Education please go to: https://mediaeducation.co.uk
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YOUNG 30(5)
Authors’ Bio-sketch
Briege Nugent is an independent research consultant. Over the past 17 years
she has worked for the government, private, academic and third sector. She carries
out research with people often referred to as ‘hard to reach’ or ‘seldom heard’, to
make their voices louder to help inform future policy and practice.
Kate Deacon is a Director at Media Education, an organisation that believes
everyone has a story to tell and right to be heard. They work with people from
many different backgrounds, and use participatory practice to facilitate the creation
and distribution of issue-based video and podcast content.