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 upcoming roundtable. Taking place online on Monday 28 September 2026 12pm-1:30pm (BST), register a space.

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 Refuge

Refuge supports thousands of survivors on any given day, and every two minutes someone turns to Refuge for help. It operates the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, which is the gateway to specialist support. More than one in four women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and on average, every five days a woman is killed by a current or former partner. 

Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available on 0808 2000 247 for free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A live chat service is also available from 10am to 10pm, Monday to Friday, and from 10am to 6pm on weekends. For further information and advice, visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk. For support with tech-facilitated abuse, visit www.refugetechsafety.org. 

Refuge also hosts Refuge, In Conversation With, a bi-monthly podcast exploring the intersection of technology and abuse, featuring expert insights. All episodes are available at https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/refuge-tfaee.  

Published: August 2026