Seeing and being seen: celebrating children’s voices through art

In May, more than 120 pieces of artwork created by children and young people living in refuges were displayed in a first-of-its-kind exhibition, delivered through the partnership between Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse charity, and the UK Trauma Council, a leading organisation in childhood trauma.

For the children and their safe parents, the private viewing was a moment of pride and joy. They had the opportunity to see their work displayed alongside that of others – recognised not just as participants, but as artists. One child shared, “I love all the artwork and lots of people loved my painting and that made my day!” In these moments, their creativity was celebrated and their experiences acknowledged.

But the exhibition offered something even more profound than praise. As children moved through the space together, they did something that is not often possible in refuge settings: they saw one another. Living in a refuge requires privacy and anonymity for each family’s safety, but the exhibition created a rare, shared space of recognition. Children realised they were not the only ones who were living in refuges. As one young person reflected, “I got the chance to be with a community who are going through the same thing.”

This sense of connection matters. We know that isolation can increase the risk of the long-term impact of trauma, while connection can be a powerful protective factor. In this exhibition, children were not only seen, but  also saw themselves reflected in others.

The artwork itself was rich with meaning. Across paintings, drawings and creative pieces, children expressed feelings of safety, calm, connection, choice and control, alongside their hopes for the future. These themes are not incidental – they reflect the core principles of the Children Activity Time (CHAT) Project: a new, evidence-informed intervention co-produced by Refuge and the UK Trauma Council.

Delivered by Children’s Support Workers to children while they are living in a refuge, the CHAT Project recognises the window of opportunity this time holds to begin healing. Through a series of sessions, children engage in conversation, play, storytelling, and creative activities that help them explore and experience the project’s key principles. Each session offers opportunities to support children to begin to grow, heal, and move forward after their experiences of domestic abuse.

Alongside this, safe parents are also offered check-in conversations to reflect on their child’s sessions, build understanding, and consider next steps together.

The CHAT Project culminates in a final celebratory session, where children share their work with their safe parent and, at times, others within the refuge community. It is a moment of recognition and achievement, and it was from these powerful presentations that the idea for the art exhibition was born – an opportunity to extend that moment of “being seen” beyond the refuge, allowing children’s thoughts, feelings and ideas to be witnessed and understood more widely.

Following the children’s private viewing, the exhibition opened to sector professionals, donors and invited guests. Many left messages for the young artists – words of encouragement and admiration. One message captured this:

“Wow! I loved your art. So impressive. And telling your story with courage. You have a lot to teach others. Please do!”

This exhibition was more than an event. It was a celebration of children’s voices, a testament to their resilience, and a powerful reminder of what can happen when we create spaces where children feel safe, valued, and connected. At its heart, it showed us that when children are given the opportunity not only to express themselves, but to be truly seen and heard, they might just begin to see themselves differently too.

If you are an accommodation-based service provider and want to learn more about the CHAT Project, join us for our upcoming roundtable here.

We want to thank DAHAN foundation who made this project possible through their generous support, with Mindspace kindly providing the venue for the art exhibition.

About the UK Trauma Council:

The UK Trauma Council, a project of Anna Freud, is a leading organisation in childhood trauma with a mission to radically improve the help children and young people receive across the UK following traumatic events and experiences.

It plays a key role in supporting professionals, caregivers, communities and policy makers through developing evidence-based resources, guidance and training in responding to children and young people who have experienced trauma.

Using their expansive range of free resources, a free online Community of Practice and a range of training courses and events, adults can draw on the latest research evidence alongside the views of young people to better equip them to support children to rebuild, adjust and thrive again.

Find out more.

About Anna Freud:

Anna Freud is a pioneering mental health charity, transforming care for children and young people through science, collaboration and clinical innovation. Our research sheds light on why mental health problems develop so we can design new approaches to prevention and intervention with children, young people, families and communities. We share our expertise through training, and help services and policymakers improve the systems that shape young lives. In a rapidly changing world, we champion fresh, practical approaches that give every child the opportunity to thrive.