Find Your Talent

Our Legacy - Amy's Story

Image: The Equation Class ( a situation or problem in which a number of different factors need to be considered). Photograph by Amy Cliffe.

Amy is 16. She participated in Kirkby Kreative's 'Identity' project as part of Find Your Talent. The pilot was all about working together to achieve better outcomes for young people like Amy and her story is just one of many.

" I grew up with not having family around - my mum was really unwell and I had to be the adult in the house and look after mum and little sister. I basically missed out on my childhood. When I hit my teens I realised I'd had to grow up too fast. Around this time my family went through a really rough stage - our house was being targeted and I didn't know who wanted to hurt us. This had a big impact on me and made me not want to go out and do stuff I wanted to do. It made me lose my confidence and stopped me going to school and I basically didn't go to school for most of years 8-10. I didn't have any friends and I didn't do normal stuff like going to friends houses, going to the pictures etc. It made me lose trust in everyone because I didn't know what would happen if I did.

I got help and support through group therapy, and over time they helped me to realise that, even though bad things happen, when good things happen and opportunities come along it's a good idea to take them - this helped me build my confidence. Find Your Talent came along at the right time when I was ready to take that opportunity and start to do things for myself.

How did you get involved in the FYT project? Why did you get involved?

I got involved in FYT because my learning mentor at school told me about a meeting that was going to be held that week in the school caféteria. My initial reaction was ‘what are my talents?' and I started to think about what I did during the day and realised I didn't have any. But my best friend and I went to see what it was about, I listened to what was being offered and afterwards I thought there is something going on that I can get involved with. The taster sessions weren't really what I wanted to do - I like music and drama and but I'm not really into dance but I had a go anyway. Afterwards I had a meeting with one of the FYT creative mentors and she asked me about what I was interested in and what I would like to do which is photography - I've always been interested in it even though I'm not amazing at it and not doing it everyday. The creative mentor then said she could arrange for me to work with a photographer as part of the project and I thought I would have a go.

What was the impact of the project (and the people who worked on it) on you personally?

This project has opened a lot of opportunities up for me - even just by going to a few sessions a week. I didn't realise just how much I could do and have been able to do. The people I've met have been really helpful, Sharon the photographer who I worked with has been great and my creative mentor has especially helped me to link in with other artists/photographers and organisations. I'm doing more stuff in the day now - even though I've not got a camera I'm thinking all the time about what I can do, ideas I have for shots, writing down set ups for shots, and I'm not bored.

How do you think you've changed as a result of being involved in the project?

Being involved in the Find Your Talent project has made me a lot more confident, I'm going out more and doing stuff that I wouldn't have even thought of before - I knew I wanted to do it but I just didn't know how to go about it so I would put it to back of my mind, deliberately not think about it. I didn't grow up with a family or friends who would normally go to places like exhibitions or galleries so I wasn't really able to go out and look at stuff that was on. Also, being around other people was one of the things that I couldn't do, it used to make me cringe and feel really uncomfortable. I'm used to doing stuff on my own and not having a camera held me back. But now I feel I can do stuff and I am doing more.

What are your next steps?

Hopefully getting into college, to do a BTEC National Diploma in Art and Design with Photography at Liverpool Community College. I'm feeling more confident that I won't have the worries about not being able to do it which would've stopped me before. I went to the interview on my own which I didn't think I could do and sat in a room with loads of other people. I didn't think I would be able to be in an environment where people like the same things I do without feeling worried that I couldn't do it and I didn't have the right to be there. But I did it and I feel I can do it. Now I feel I've got a chance.

Through doing the Find Your Talent project I've now got loads of opportunities - I've got some exhibitions coming up and people wanting to see and buy my photographs. I'm also going to be doing work experience with Sharon at the Bluecoat Chambers in Liverpool and working on the Explore activities for a visiting exhibition. I'm going to be doing some more photography workshops at FACT in Liverpool and I've also been asked to take some pictures at the Knowsley Flower show and some other events over the summer.