This unique programme has been developed to equip care-experienced young adults from London boroughs with the skills to devise and deliver workshops at the Museum for family groups. Tracing Our Tales provides paid employment and valuable life skills, including public speaking, critical and creative thinking, and people management, as well as skills in art and creative expression.
The programme focuses on four areas: teaching, art, employment and life skills. The aim is to train the participants to become assistants for future artist-led workshops at the Museum, develop critical life skills for future employment, and boost their confidence helping them re-enter further education.
We encourage the young people to make connections with their current experience of care with the Museum’s past story of care, which increases their sense of belonging in the Museum. The traineeship creates a safe space for conversations about shared experiences.
Trainees from previous years have assisted in the development and delivery of several family workshops and online art activities for families to do at home.
Creative Writing Traineeship
Launched in 2021, the programme is inspired by the story of the Foundling Hospital and the lives of the young care leavers.
The aim of the creative writing traineeship is to help the trainees to gain new skills in performance, writing, listening, and collaboration, while building social skills and increasing their confidence.
Exploring the work of other young poets, the programme tackles topics including names, homes, identity and places they may feel uncomfortable.
Stigma in the Museum
You can currently visit our Introductory Gallery to discover a display that looks at the stigmas young people who have experienced the care system have felt.
This poignant display explores the stigmas felt by young people with experience of the care system today. Made by trainees and graduates of our Tracing Our Tales programme, this installation reveals the isolation and hurdles faced by young care leavers in the community. You can also view the film created at the top of this page.
