DigitalMe - care-experienced children and young carers
Digital Voice are really proud to have worked in partnership with Gateshead Council’s Children’s Rights Worker and Creative Development Manager to pilot forward-thinking techniques which have the potential to empower people to communicate their stories and views.
This exciting project was led by children with experience of the care system, using the latest technology to tell others how their lives could be improved.
Using iPads and a wide variety of apps, the children examined their lives and drew up the messages that they wished to communicate to their peers, social workers and teachers. They wrote and recorded scripts which were then “spoken” by avatars that they developed to represent themselves. They then assembled all of their work together into powerful and moving digital stories.
There was an exhibition is of their messages in the form of anonymous self-portraits and a montage film of some of their avatars speaking their messages and songs they wrote with Sage Gateshead. Huge thanks to Gateshead Council and all the artists involved.
The project won a Royal Television Society Technical Innovation Award and was runner up for two national Tech4Good Awards.
Digital Voice have since worked with more care-experienced children in partnership with Durham County Council’s helping children create messages for social workers. These are used in training to ensure social work trainees know what children need from them.
Digital Voice have also worked in partnership with The Bridge Young Carers; giving young carers a voice about their lives and how they can be better supported.
