Stepping out of our comfort zones - Reflecting on the Newcastle Carers X Mortal Fools project

We've recently had the opportunity to work with Newcastle Carers' Young Adult Carers (YAC) group, to co-design a creative project using different art forms, to support them to express themselves and share their ideas and experiences.  

It's been wonderful to work with a talented and imaginative core group of 10 young adults who have have come to each session with bucket loads of ideas. They have always been up for stepping out of their comfort zones and giving things a go, growing skills in music making, art, photography, film making and more. 

Equally it's been lovely to share experiences and skills with Newcastle Carers' team. This is our first project working with a carers group and the skills and knowledge we've developed will help us better support young carers in all our projects.   

This project concluded with the 'Imagine A World...' showcase event, that gave audiences the chance to see the world through the eyes of this unique group of young adult carers. 

To share more we invited Lydia the Young Carers Groups and Activities Worker at Newcastle Carers and Amy a participant in the project to share their experiences.

Read on for the full interviews:

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Newcastle Carers and Mortal Fools staff teams. Lydia is front row second from the left.

Interview with Lydia Chadwick - Young Carers Groups and Activities Worker
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What is your role at Newcastle Carers?
I am the young carers groups and activities worker. We provide activities for young carers aged 8-25 to support them in having break from their caring roles, make friends who have similar experiences to them and have lots of fun.

What did you learn during the Newcastle Carers X Mortal Fools project?
I learnt a lot about the young people. It was great to do a project that could highlight their creative abilities. We have singers, artists, creative writers, actors, music writers, rappers, and so many more in our groups that I didn’t know we had. I loved being able to see them bring their talents into the project. 
 
What are some of the biggest ‘wins’ of the project from your perspective?
The biggest wins for me have been the young people being able to overcome some of the fears they expressed at the beginning of the project. From saying “I don’t want to be on camera” or “I don’t want my voice on anything”, to being featured in parts of the music and videos they made. They’ve gained so much confidence and we’re all so proud of them.

Sketchbook describing activities from the project.

What are some of the barriers young adult carers face in taking part in creative activities?
Young people in general can lack confidence, particularly if they are anticipating doing something that might be “on display” for others to see. Young carers don’t always get opportunities to delve into their creativity for many reasons, whether that’s because they lack confidence, or because they don’t have the time. It can even be not actually knowing what opportunities are available to them. It was great to be able to provide them with time dedicated to being creative and invite them into a space they know and with people they trust.

What are some of the things we did working together on this project to make it accessible?
Kate and Jess did a really great job of gauging what the young people would be comfortable with and encouraging them to take part just the right amount throughout the sessions. It meant over time they felt more and more able to do things that might have been outside of their comfort zone when they started. It was also really great to have that open communication with Kate about where the project was heading. She could understand a bit more about the young people’s needs from our perspective and support me by telling me where the project was going so we could encourage the young carers to come along.

What was your favourite moment from the project?
My favourite moment from the project was at the showcase when I went into the music room to listen to Life With No Limits. I went in with some of the showcase guests and one of the young people, who sang on the track, and their grandparents. As this young person’s voice came through singing in the chorus, their grandad looked at them with so much pride and pulled them in for a hug. It was just such a sweet moment and I had to look away to stop myself from crying (of happiness of course)!​​

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Photo from 'Imagine A World' showcase.

Interview with Amy - YACs group participant

How did you get involved in the project?
It was Lydia who told me there was the opportunity to join it, and it was something new, so I thought I’d give it a go.

How have you developed your sense of achievement during the project?
Working towards the end goal gave me the courage to keep working. I had no idea what it would end up as; it felt good to share what I had spent weeks doing. 

What is something you are proud of during the project and why?
The personal art things I was most proud of. I did some drawings, and it was the first time I'd been able to show my art. It was nice for people to look at those things and be like, 'you did that'. 

Photo of Amy's drawing from 'Imagine A World' showcase

What impact has being involved in the project had for you outside of the session?
It's helped with confidence and speaking to new people because most of the people I'd not met so it gave me a chance to speak to new people. The more I spent time with people, the more I got closer to them, and I just got to talk to them more. You can speak about caring stuff with them so it helped to build the relationship.  

The 'Secret Lives of Young People' film focused on the average week of young people and featured one scene where a young person was unable to rearrange plans because of their caring responsibilities. How do you think young adult carers' lives are similar and different from other young adults?
Especially with education, it makes it so much harder. Now I’m in uni every week is not the same. And I was used to the school structure, so making plans is very hard, and it’s difficult to move around and change them. ​​​

What is something you have learnt in the sessions that you can use in the future?
There were things I'd never thought of doing before, so the prompts helped me be more creative cause it kind of expanded my thinking.

What was your favourite moment from the project?
The music activity cause it was nice to listen to it and see how it came together. I wasn’t in that one, so there was less anxiety just listening to it! The showcase was a highlight too. 
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Photo from 'Imagine A World' showcase.

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Big thank you to Lydia and Amy for sharing their experiences! If you'd like to find out more about the Newcastle Carers Project and view short films and artwork created by the group click the button below:

Click here to find out more about the Mortal Fools X Newcastle Carers' project