Care experienced and separated young people from GMYN express themselves in powerful exhibition at Manchester Cathedral

Care experienced and separated young people shared unique insights into their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives at an exhibition at Manchester Cathedral.

The ‘Leaving an Impression X Greater Manchester Youth Network’ exhibition included a series of multi-media self-portraits created by young people supported by GMYN.

The portraits are the young people’s final pieces produced during a project led by Dr Martha Baldon, from the University of St Andrews. The creative project looked at how the medieval act of ‘reading through feeling’ can still be used today to explore identity and communicate difficult emotions.

Libby, 21, a care leaver from GMYN, said: “The project has let me express myself with others. I’ve got to know some of the other young people at GMYN much better from coming to these sessions.”

Another care leaver supported by GMYN, said: “This project has allowed us to visualise ourselves and our identity in a unique way. I’ve chosen not to provide a description to go alongside my final piece as I want to make people work through my identity like I’ve had to work through it over the years.”

Scott, another care leaver who took part, added: “The art session was fantastic, and I will be taking stuff on board.”

The project is based on research by Martha who argues that marks and fingerprints left on medieval manuscripts suggest readers engaged and connected with the text through touch. Her research found that medieval audiences would touch certain parts of images as a way to document their emotional response to familiar characters and storylines.

Young people supported by GMYN used the same technique during the project and were able to explore their sense of identity and communicate their feelings in a new way through touch. This included putting drawings and notes on a map of Greater Manchester to leave a mark on areas that have left an impression on them and shaped who they are. Messages left on the map by young people include captions that read: ‘This is where I found my second family’ and ‘This is where I had a second chance in life’. 

Martha, who led the project and organised the exhibition, said: “The overall aim of ‘Leaving an Impression’ is to explore the potential benefits that medieval models of ‘reading through feeling’ can have for contemporary audiences. 

“This summer we used these haptic reading techniques to support non-verbal explorations of selfhood, identity, and emotion. Each of the pieces in this exhibition offers a unique insight into their creator’s thoughts, feelings, and perspective that is supported by the remarkable courage and honesty with which the young people approached their work. 

“The fact that the young people felt able to express themselves openly so is a real testament to the safe and trusting relationships that GMYN group coordinators have developed with all of the people that they support. Working with them this summer has been a genuine privilege.” 

GMYN programme coordinator, Imogen Hadebe said: “As programme coordinators we are always looking for activities that build confidence in our young people to express themselves freely. Martha’s Leaving an Impression project did exactly that; creating a calm atmosphere in which our young people could reflect, and a safe space inwhich to share. The young people grew in confidence each week and being able to speak more openly enabled friendships to deepen, rooted in common interests and experiences. 

“Through both the art that was created and the conversations that arose, I was able to learn more about my young people which has informed the planning of future sessions that respond more closely to their needs and desires. It was truly a pleasure to be a part of this project, and it has been amazing watching our young people thrive creatively and emotionally.”

The self-portraits were displayed alongside reproductions of the medieval images that inspired the project, and other creative pieces made during different GMYN projects. ‘Leaving an Impression X Greater Manchester Youth Network’ was available to view publicly over two weeks in September at Manchester Cathedral.

Find information on how to support GMYN here.