Youth Voice: Exploring Models of Participation

Self-guided, interactive eLearning | £35 (1 year’s access) or £48 (18 months)

Strengthen your approach to youth engagement by putting young people at the heart of your work.

This practical self-guided course supports anyone working in creative, cultural, heritage or community contexts to meaningfully involve young people in shaping projects, programmes and decision-making.

You’ll explore trusted participation frameworks like Hart’s Ladder, Treseder’s Degrees of Participation, and the Lundy Model, and reflect on how to apply them in your own work. The course also introduces Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and how it underpins ethical and legal responsibilities around youth voice.

Whether you're designing exhibitions, running events, delivering creative workshops, or leading youth engagement, this course helps you embed more inclusive and empowering practice from the ground up.



Course Information

Youth Voice: Exploring Models of Participation builds on the foundations set out in Youth Voice: An Introduction, and is ideal for those who want to take the next step. It introduces established participatory models and supports you to create projects with young people, not just for them.

You’ll explore how to:

  • Understand the difference between genuine participation and tokenism

  • Apply models like Hart’s Ladder, the Lundy Model, and Treseder’s Degrees of Participation

  • Use Article 12 of the UNCRC to frame your legal and ethical responsibilities

  • Create safe, inclusive spaces for young people to contribute meaningfully

  • Embed youth voice at every stage: from planning and delivery to evaluation

This course is brought to you by the expert trainers at Artswork Professional Development, who are proud to share their decades of experience of personal and professional development within the creative, cultural and heritage sectors.

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Why It Matters:

Young people are not just future audiences - they are creative leaders, cultural changemakers, and vital contributors to the world around them. But without the tools and understanding to genuinely involve them, organisations risk missing out on the innovation, relevance, and impact that youth voice brings.

This course helps you build confidence and clarity around participation so that young people feel heard, valued, and part of something meaningful.

An Interactive Learning Experience

This self-guided course includes:

  • Real-world case studies (including Artswork’s own 'Now You See Me' mural project)

  • Reflection activities to help you connect ideas to your setting

  • Clear introductions to key participation models

  • Guided questions to support reflection

  • Video explainers with captions

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:

  • Assess how youth voice currently features in your work

  • Recognise when participation is meaningful and when it’s superficial

  • Plan more collaborative, youth-centred approaches

  • Apply trusted models and frameworks to shape your projects and teams



Who this course is for:

  • Organisations developing programmes for or with young people

  • Freelance practitioners, artists and educators working in participatory settings

  • Community or learning teams at museums, galleries, libraries or venues

  • Anyone looking to build confidence in embedding youth voice

This course works brilliantly alongside Youth Voice: An Introduction. While the Introduction course helps you understand the why, this one focuses on the how, making them an ideal pair for individual learning or team-wide CPDL.

Course Features

  • Fully Online

    Complete anywhere, anytime

  • Self-Paced

    Pause and return as needed, with one year’s access (option to extend to 18 months)

  • Accessible Formatvideo

    All video content is available with text captions and audio

  • Practical Application

    Designed to support your real-world practice

  • One-Year Access (or extend to 18 months)

    Revisit frameworks, models, and case studies any time

Pricing Options

The standard option suits quick completion, while the extended option is ideal to allow extra time for busy schedules and ongoing reference

  • £35.00

    Standard Access (One Year)

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  • £49.00

    Extended Access (18 Months)

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Training Teams with Ease

If you’re purchasing on behalf of others, a group order gives you Seat Manager access. This includes a simple admin dashboard where you can:

  • Share sign-up links with staff (whether or not they already have an account)

  • Enrol or remove individuals directly

  • Track progress and activity, including log-ins and licence use

It’s a cost-effective way to provide consistent training across teams – with remote access and the flexibility for everyone to learn at their own pace.

If you prefer to pay by invoice/PO, get in touch and we’ll set this up for you.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction to this course

    • Introduction to Course Player

    • Welcome: About This Course

    • Survey
  • 2

    What is Youth Voice?

    • What Is Youth Voice?

    • A Short History of Youth Voice

    • Youth Voice Quiz

    • Why Youth Voice Matters in the Arts, Cultural, and Creative Sectors

    • Developing Youth Voice

    • Case Study: Now You See Me
  • 3

    What is Particpation?

    • What Is Participation?

    • Your own experience of youth participation

    • Exploring Participatory Models

    • Connecting Participation to Participatory Models

    • Introduction to Participatory Models
  • 4

    Early Participatory Models

    • Sherry Arnstein The Ladder of Citizen Participation (1969)

    • Sherry Arnstein case studies

    • Hart's Ladder of Youth Participation

    • Activity: Applying Hart's Ladder

  • 5

    The United Nations Convention on The Rights of the Child

    • Introducing the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child and Its Role in Youth Voice

    • Article 12 – The Right to be Heard

    • Article 12 and the Development of Youth Voice

    • The UNCRC and Youth Participation Models
  • 6

    Degrees of Participation: Phil Treseder (1997)

    • Phil Treseder's Degrees of Participation

    • An Introduction to Degrees of Participation

    • Assigned but informed

    • Activity; Designing a meaningful activity plan

    • Consulted and Informed

    • Adult initiated shared decisions with children

    • Activity: Exploring how a young person might move through the model

    • Child initiated and directed

    • Child initiated shared decisions with adults
  • 7

    The Lundy Model of Participation (2014)

    • The Lundy Model of Participation

    • The Four Key Elements of the Lundy Model

    • The Lundy Model: Space

    • The Lundy Model: Voice

    • The Lundy Model: Audience

    • The Lundy Model: Influence

    • Reflecting on Your Own Progress: The Lundy Model

    • The Lundy Model: Self Assessment and Action Planning Tool
  • 8

    Bringing Youth Voice into Your Practice: A Comprehensive Approach

    • A Summary of the Models

    • Small Changes Big Impact
  • 9

    Evaluation

    • Evaluation

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who is this course for?

    This course is ideal for anyone working with or alongside young people in creative, cultural, educational, or community contexts. That includes: Engagement and learning teams in museums, theatres, and arts organisations; Freelance creative practitioners and educators; Community project leads and youth workers; Programme managers and producers designing participatory work.

  • Do I need prior knowledge of participation theory?

    No. This course is designed to be accessible whether you're new to youth engagement or looking to strengthen your approach. However, if you're new to youth voice, we would recommend starting with our other course, Exploring Youth Voice: An Introduction

  • How long will it take to complete?

    The course takes approximately 1.5 – 2.5 hours to complete, but this depends on the individual. You can work through it at your own pace and revisit any section at any time.

  • Will I get a certificate?

    Yes. You’ll be able to download a certificate of completion directly within the course player once you've finished the course, and once all modules have been marked as 'complete'.

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