Welcome to Your Life Your Story
Unleashing the Power of Relationships Through Creativity and Experience
At Your Life Your Story, we create spaces for care-experienced individuals to connect, heal, and share their truths through the transformative power of the arts. As a Community Interest Company (CIC) led by four unpaid directors who are care-experienced adults, caregivers, or both, we empower individuals to explore their stories, reclaim their narratives, and find strength in shared experiences.
What We Do
Since 2017, we’ve grown into a nationally recognized community, delivering creative workshops, performing at conferences, and hosting events that connect people through storytelling. Our work extends beyond creative expression; we also support research conducted by individuals with lived and worked care experience, recognizing the value of insights shaped by personal journeys and professional expertise.
Our Focus: Raising Funds for Transformation
All our efforts are directed towards raising the funds needed to make our annual event possible. The Your Life Your Story Residential Weekend is the cornerstone of our work, offering a safe, supportive environment where care-experienced individuals can explore and share their stories. It is through the generosity of our supporters that we continue this vital work and create life-changing opportunities for participants.
The 2024 Residential Weekend
The 2024 Residential Weekend was the heart of this year’s program. Over three transformative days, participants delved into the therapeutic arts, reflecting on care given and received and sharing stories that had often remained untold.The weekend concluded with a Creative Showcase, where participants presented their work—poetry, visual art, or storytelling. This showcase was more than a presentation; it was a celebration of courage, healing, and connection. Individuals shared their personal and powerful stories for personal healing, family history, and, in some cases, publication. As Maya Angelou so wisely said: "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you." At Your Life Your Story, we ensured these stories were finally told, empowering individuals and amplifying their voices.
Supporting Research and Insight
We are proud to support research led by individuals with lived and worked care experience. Their dual perspectives bring unique and invaluable insights into improving care systems and understanding the lived realities of care-experienced individuals. By amplifying these voices in research, we deepen the collective understanding and drive meaningful change for current and future generations.
A Participant’s Journey
For many, this journey was life-changing. One participant shared their first experience with Your Life Your Story:
"I had never really had the courage to sit and think about or write about my experiences growing up in care. It was well hidden. Thinking about it was difficult and triggering, but it was also so empowering. I wished that I had a similar opportunity when I was younger, especially at the point of leaving care." – Journalist Jolene Campbell. Others reflected on the profound sense of connection and acceptance they found: "The space we held for each other felt safe, honest, non-judgmental, and like you were never more than an arm’s length away from people who just ‘got it.’ The connection came through feeling, knowing, and the shared threads of existence. We all became more than we were before we arrived."
Our Vision
We believe in the transformative power of creativity, connection, and insight. For those who have experienced adversity, storytelling and research offer paths to healing, understanding, and growth. For professionals who work with them, these perspectives provide profound insights into lived experiences. As our collective voice grows louder, so does our determination to improve services for vulnerable children and the adults they become. Together, we reclaim relationships through the shared narratives of lived experiences.
Join Us
Your Life Your Story is more than an event—it’s a community, a movement, and a safe space where untold stories are shared and celebrated. Your support helps us raise the funds necessary to continue this life-changing work, host our annual event, and advance care-experienced research.Your story matters. Let’s tell it together.