The voices and experiences of Cumberland’s cared for and care-experienced young people have reached the heart of Westminster, through a powerful exhibition displayed at Parliament as part of Care Experience Month.
Re-write the Narrative, created by care experienced young people from Cumberland Youth Voice with support from Cumberland Council, uses artwork, poetry, photography and creative installations to share their experiences of care in their own way.
The exhibition aims to challenge stigma and misconceptions, encourage people to look beyond labels and, most importantly, listen to what cared for and care-experienced young people have to say.
Sinead, 24, a care experienced young person whose work featured in the exhibition, said:
“It felt unbelievable to see something we had created and our stories being recognised and displayed in Parliament. Sometimes as care-experienced people, we don’t always feel that our voices are heard or that our experiences are fully understood.
“To see our artwork in such an important environment made me feel proud of what we had created. It also made me feel valued and listened to. It showed that our stories matter and deserve to be seen.
“Everyone’s care experience is different, and it’s important that we have the opportunity to tell our own stories rather than have other people speak for us.”
Opened at Parliament on Tuesday 10 November with speeches by Josh MacAlister OBE MP, Minister for Children and Families and MP for Whitehaven and Workington, and Ali, one of the care experienced young people whose work is featured, attendees had the opportunity to see the work and hear directly from some of the young people behind it.
Ali, 25, told those attending:
“This exhibition, ‘Re-write the Narrative’, is us telling our stories. It’s us refusing to be reduced to data and files.
“Policy alone cannot build empathy, but empathy must drive policy.
“We do not need your admiration today. We need your action in your chambers to aid in rewriting the system, so it gives every care-experienced person the safety and fair chance at a future they deserve.”
The exhibition will be on display at the heart of Parliament for a week, allowing MPs and other dignitaries to see and reflect on the messages being shared.
It marks the latest chapter for Re-write the Narrative, which was first displayed at Carlisle’s Tullie Museum and Art Gallery during Care Experience Month 2025, before travelling to Whitehaven earlier this year. The exhibition began as a photography project before developing into a wider collection of artwork, poetry and other creative pieces, each offering a personal perspective their experience of being in care.
Councillor Emma Williamson, Deputy Leader of Cumberland Council and Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, Family Wellbeing and Housing, said:
“Seeing Re-write the Narrative in Parliament is an incredibly proud moment, but what matters most is that our young people’s voices are being heard.
“This exhibition asks us to look beyond labels and assumptions and really listen to what cared for and care-experienced young people tell us about their lives, their experiences and what matters to them.
“I’m incredibly proud of the young people who have chosen to share so much through this exhibition. Our responsibility is not to speak for them, but to listen, learn and make sure their experiences help shape what we do.”
Re-write the Narrative forms part of a wider commitment in Cumberland to listen to cared for and care-experienced young people and involve them in the decisions and services that affect their lives.
It supports Cumberland Council’s internal ‘Language That Cares’ approach, which recognises the impact language can have and seeks to reduce stigma by using words that are respectful, compassionate and shaped by the views and experiences of young people.
James Moore, Senior Manager for Corporate Parenting at Cumberland Council, said:
"This is more than an exhibition. It is an opportunity to learn, reflect and make meaningful changes, led by the very people whose lives and futures are shaped by the decisions we make.”
"The journey of this exhibition and the messages within it really captures this year’s Care Experience Month theme, ‘From Experience to Empowerment’.
“Rewrite the Narrative launched in Carlisle during Care Experienced Month last year and one year on, we’re taking those messages to a bigger audience – to Parliament and the centre of decision-making.”
Other quotes
Hear from the young people themselves about their work, in their own words:
Leo, 18, said:
“Being in care isn’t a label. We aren’t different. We still have dreams and aspirations and we will get there, but it may take a little more than other people.
“It’s important that we tell our story in our own way. It’s our story and, while we are all in the same boat, we have all had different experiences.”
Kim, 26, said:
“It almost felt surreal. For so long I’ve wanted to share my story and I’ve loved art, so to be able to share both was amazing.
“We are not a statistic. It’s important for our stories to be listened to and acknowledged, but in a way that we feel comfortable.”
