Youth Voices

Youth Voices was created as an extension of the ideas behind Common Walls Festival — the belief that public art should not only exist within communities, but should also create opportunities for the people living within them.

Developed through The Butterfly Effected CIC and led by Hayley Garner (AYLO) and Christian Fenn (SECA), the project was designed to give young people and emerging creatives access to the world of mural art in a meaningful and hands-on way.

For many young people, especially those from working-class backgrounds or areas where creative opportunities can feel limited, careers within the arts often seem distant or inaccessible. Youth Voices was built to challenge that idea by creating a space where participants could learn directly from professional artists working within the international street art scene.

Rather than approaching the programme like a traditional classroom setting, Youth Voices focused on collaboration, experimentation, and creative confidence. Participants were introduced to the full process behind creating large-scale public artwork — from developing ideas and researching themes through to scaling designs, understanding materials, using spray paint, and painting collaboratively within public spaces.

The programme encouraged young people to think about their own identities, experiences, communities, and futures, using creativity as a way to communicate ideas and tell stories visually. Workshops explored themes around place, belonging, mental health, culture, and self-expression, while also teaching practical artistic skills and offering insight into how large mural projects are developed professionally.

One of the most important aspects of Youth Voices was giving participants genuine ownership within the process. Rather than simply observing artists at work, the young people involved became active contributors, helping shape concepts and physically taking part in the creation of public artworks that would remain within their communities long after the programme ended.

Alongside technical skills, the project also focused heavily on confidence building, teamwork, communication, and showing young people that their perspectives have value. Many participants came into the workshops with little or no experience in art, but through the process developed confidence not only creatively, but personally.

At its core, Youth Voices is about representation, opportunity, and connection. It exists to create pathways into creativity for young people who may never have imagined themselves capable of contributing to large-scale public art, while also ensuring the next generation has a voice in shaping the visual identity and stories of their towns and communities.

For AYLO and SECA, the programme reflects a wider belief that public art should leave more behind than painted walls. It should leave skills, inspiration, confidence, and opportunities behind too.