Listening to the Voices of Young People: Developing a Model of Participative Practice

Abstract

This article focuses on how adults listen to the voices of young people and engage in a dialogue to create meaningful participation that is accessible and inclusive rather than tokenistic. The study that was conducted used a participatory, arts-based methodology to elicit the views of young people. Hatton’s model of participative practice is put forward, as it recognises the centrality of relationships as being the key to enhancing participation as part of a dialogue and shared experience. This centrality of relationships is linked to the practice of youth work, which supports the agency of young people and their capacity to participate.