It's My Life Festival: Creating Memories, Building Connections, and Amplifying Young People's Voices

It's My Life Festival: Creating Memories, Building Connections, and Amplifying Young People's Voices

For more than 25 years, Essex County Council's It's My Life Festival has provided children, young people, care leavers, and families receiving support from Essex Social Care with opportunities to connect, have fun, and create lasting memories. Developed through the ideas and feedback of children and young people, the festival continues to be one of Essex's flagship social care participation events.

Held annually, the festival brings together hundreds of children and young people from across Essex for a week of exciting activities, shared experiences, and opportunities to influence the services that support them. The event is designed to celebrate young people, promote wellbeing, encourage participation, and strengthen a sense of belonging among those who may have shared life experiences.

Throughout the festival, young people can take part in a wide range of activities including climbing, archery, aerial trekking, sports, arts and crafts, music, creative workshops, and outdoor adventures. These activities are carefully designed to build confidence, encourage new friendships, and provide opportunities for young people to challenge themselves in a safe and supportive environment.

What makes the It's My Life Festival particularly special is its commitment to inclusion and participation. Dedicated events throughout the week are tailored to meet the needs of different groups, including children in care, care leavers, children and young people with disabilities, children subject to Child in Need and Child Protection Plans, and adoption, kinship, and special guardianship families.

The festival also includes Proud to Be Me, a dedicated event for children and young people in care from the global majority, including Black, Asian, mixed heritage, dual heritage, and separated migrant young people. This event celebrates culture, identity, and heritage while providing a safe and welcoming space for young people to connect, share experiences, and enjoy a range of activities together.

At its heart, the It's My Life Festival is about much more than activities. It is an opportunity for children and young people to have their voices heard, influence the development of services, and build positive relationships with peers and professionals. The festival reflects Essex's commitment to ensuring that children and young people are active partners in shaping the support they receive and in creating meaningful experiences that promote confidence, resilience, and wellbeing.

Year after year, the festival demonstrates the power of participation, bringing young people together to celebrate who they are, recognise their achievements, and create memories that last a lifetime. As one of Essex's most valued and enduring participation events, the It's My Life Festival continues to provide a space where children and young people can thrive, belong, and be proud of who they are.

It's My Life Festival is Essex County Council's annual social care participation and engagement festival for children, young people, care leavers, and families who receive support from Essex Social Care. Co-produced with children and young people and supported by the Essex Children in Care Council, the festival combines fun, friendship, participation, and celebration while creating opportunities for young people to influence services and make their voices heard.

It's My Life Festival 2024

It's My Life Festival, Extraordinary Essex - Essex County Council