Gemma Moore shares reflections on her three years as a consultant on Esmée’s Involving Young People Collective (IYPC), including what attracted her to her role, what she’s learned, and what she’s gained from the experience.
In September 2021, I had just completed my undergraduate degree and was moving on to complete my postgraduate degree. In the few months between these studies, I had been involved in a youth-led project led by a local arts organisation exploring the heritage, meaning, value and power associated with the movement of water in small towns and villages near where I am from, in North Herefordshire. As the project assistant, I interviewed and consulted young people on their ideas for these spaces. I really enjoyed meeting the other young people and getting to know more about how their thoughts and ideas impacted the overall project. This process started the beginnings of my interest in youth voice and decision-making.
I remember the project leader mentioning IYPC at Esmée and what they had been up to, because they were currently recruiting. I was attracted to the role for many reasons; firstly, I wanted to learn more about what youth power and voice looked like within the realms of a high-profile organisation. I was also interested in learning more about how we could impact the grant making sector.
So, I reached out and after a few video calls and emails, I was accepted as part of the IYPC team.
Language and Lived Experience
I have learned a lot while being in the role and from the working relationship. I now know more about what it looks like to be involved in an organisation that aims to help a wide variety of organisations foster and develop good and positive relationships with the wider world, nature and different groups of people.
I was very surprised about the different use of language, which I must admit, I was not prepared for. I had been so used to, up to this point, listening and talking using words closely associated with art making and practice. There were so many different terms that I had not heard of before. The language was very different to what I was used to, but once I understood their meaning, parts of the role started to reveal themselves more. However, there are still some words I need to cross reference!
Before I joined the IYPC, I had not heard of lived experience, nor been able to identify it, its impact and how it could be used to influence real change. Up to this point I had drawn from lived experience to influence, make and present artwork in different contexts as part of being an artist, but I had never recognised it as a powerful tool that I could use to make real change or to influence. It was only until my work with the IYPC that I realised the powerful extent of using lived experience to change and influence systems in a very real and genuine way.
Now, I am able to identify what lived experience is, how it can be used and see the real impacts of it in real space and time. I can also see the value of it, whereas before, I probably couldn’t have named it and potentially would have overlooked it and not seen it as being ‘professional enough’ to come into the workspace to make decisions. Now I think so much more differently.
What I’ve Gained from The IYPC
I take a lot from the IYPC into my professional, personal and artistic life. Frequently, when I am involving myself in any kind of project, I have developed a critical voice that questions: how is this organisation working with young people’s input, time and enthusiasm? How are young people working in the space? I have also become more critical when reflecting on how money is being used and distributed in an organisation or space, and I question if the organisation truly wants to recognise and promote the wellbeing, joy, love and care for young people, how is this being achieved with the given means? It has also influenced the way I work with others too. As a socially engaged artist, I frequently work with different types of people to produce creative and engaging outcomes, from primary school aged children through to people living with dementia in care homes. Recently, I was working in a middle school in the West Midlands area and we had made some art in the morning, and in the afternoon we sat down and talked about art and we got onto some amazing thoughts and reflection, and I later realised that was a form of youth engagement, voice and power – I had given the pupils the space, time and opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas about their art, which reflecting back at my own art education and the students’ age, I can’t remember ever been given this opportunity.
Joining the IYPC has given me so much confidence. In fact, it has been a bit like a key that I never thought I’d have access to, never mind using it to open doors that I couldn’t imagine. To draw from a personal anecdotal story, about five years ago, my uncle drove up from London to see us. I remember, when he was leaving, watching him drive away from where we met in rural Shropshire, and thinking that now he will drive all the way to London, which couldn’t be more different environmentally and culturally to where I am standing presently. This idea of the change in the environment really interested me, and at that point, as a 20-year-old, I wished I could experience that too. I was itching to travel to London to explore with meaning and purpose, and to be valued as a member of a community.
Approximately a year later, that was when I heard about the IYPC, applied and was accepted to participate. When we met as a group a month or so later, I remember when I was sat on the train travelling into London this is what I wanted to do a year or so ago, but this time I am going to London with a real purpose and I know that as a young person I will help to potentially question, change and add value into a system.
What Next?
In terms of what is next for me and my role at the IYPC, I know that sadly my contract for IYPC will come to an end this summer. Presently, I am still learning more about what it means to take forward the ideas I have learnt during my time being involved in the Collective. This is something I am keen to learn more about over the coming months.For the meantime though, I am presently in the thick of wrangling with a part time PhD exploring Fine Art practices and Dementia Studies, which is keeping me occupied!
For my own professional practice, I am keen to learn more about funding behind art organisations in order to develop my understanding in this area.
