In collaboration with Purple Goat Agency, YoungMinds has been working with members of the young Black Disabled community and parents of young Black Disabled people to hear their stories and experiences.
We know these young people are underrepresented in the mental health conversation, that's why we're using their insights to help shape and craft a project designed to meet the needs of the community and celebrate their individual identities and experiences.
We are looking to commission up to ten Black Disabled content creators or artists living in the UK, to produce digital-first content that shares your stories and experiences under the theme ‘Celebrate what makes you, YOU.’
The content you create will be posted on our social media channels, to support Black Disabled young people with their mental health and help them feel less alone.
The theme for this content is: 'Celebrate what makes you, YOU'.
We chose this theme to reflect young people’s desire to make space for joy and to authentically represent their experiences. Anything you create could reflect on your own mental health journey, joy and celebration, identity and intersections of identity or anything you think would help Black Disabled young people feel seen and validated.
Although the theme focuses on celebration, we know it’s also important for young people to hear about what people are going through, and that includes the downs as well as the ups. So, you may also want to share all kinds of experiences, challenges, difficulties, and honest stories that you are comfortable sharing.
Take a look below for more information on the type of content we're looking for.
We're looking for content that shares and celebrates the multiplicity of identity and the many things that make you who you are, whether that’s your race, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender, interests, culture, career – however you identify.
We know we will never speak to every unique, complex and diverse experience, but the content should help young people feel seen and valued by witnessing your stories and experiences.
We're looking for content that is honest and authentic, sharing the fluctuating nature of being Disabled, showing the highs and lows, impact on mental health (the good, the bad and the in between), and that no one day or experience is always the same.
These could demonstrate your self-care routine while you speak on a specific topic.
Create video interviews or conversations with another Black Disabled content creator, friend or family member.
Join us as a guest for an episode on our podcast, to talk about your experiences.
Write a piece of spoken word, poetry, a blog or a zine that reflects your experience and identity.
Create a piece of art, design, photography or illustration relating to your experiences.
Write or tell a story about your experience. Or tell it through song or dance.
Authentic representation of real-life experiences from Black Disabled young individuals is key to resonating with this community.
When I was younger, and sometimes now I always kind of feel like I’m by myself [...] show me [...] There’s other people like you going through the same thing. I feel like that’s very, very important.
Young people want to see content that acknowledges the intricate identities of Black Disabled folk, and stories of how people identify and relate to the different parts of their identities.
So I am a black, working class, trans masc, non-binary artist. I also have borderline personality disorder and I’m awaiting an autism diagnosis [...] I’m a northerner as well, I’m very proud of that [...] and I identify as chaotic good.
This community want others to understand the dynamic nature of disabilities and how it can vary day to day, and no experience is the same.
My disability gets better, well more manageable, and then it gets less manageable and that ebbs and flows. It’s not a constant state. I think that’s a narrative that’s missing in the media.
We know we need to do more to reach young people from marginalised groups, with content that makes them feel seen, valued, and heard and gives them support in looking after their mental health.
We also know that both public data and insight from our young people tells us that Disabled people are more disproportionately affected by mental health struggles. And for Black Disabled young people, racial and intersectional inequality can make their experience of mental health far more complex.
This project is part of our ongoing commitment to create content that serves Black Disabled young people and help them feel less alone with their mental health. And to ensure that content meets the needs of the community, we want to commission work created by people from the community.
Alongside this project, we’re working on improving our accessibility across our channels, reviewing the content on our website to ensure it speaks to Black Disabled young people, and undergoing staff training to deepen our understanding of intersectionality and disability.
Yes, this work will be paid. Deliverables and fees will be discussed as part of the contracting for this work. All commissioned artists and content creators are responsible for paying their own tax and National Insurance contributions through self-assessment.
We know from our conversations with Black Disabled young people that not everyone with a disability identifies as Disabled. This might be because of the stigma that’s sometimes felt around the Disabled label. It may also be due to their disability being invisible or not commonly discussed. For example, neurodiverse people, or those living with a chronic illness or pain condition may not identify as Disabled. However you want to identify is up to you.
If you’re unsure whether your condition or illness is classified as a disability, check out our list below on the different pillars of disability. These are the experiences that we really want to amplify through this project:
Yes, we’re only able to work with UK-based content creators for this project.
We welcome interest from all Disabled artists and content creators of Black or mixed-Black heritage.
Applications are open to individuals of any age. The content will be aimed at an audience of 11-25-year-olds.
We are looking to go live with the content on our channels from February – April 2024, but we’ll continue to post pieces of content throughout the year.
Thank you so much for your interest in this project.
Unfortunately, we're no longer accepting new applications.
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