On Saturday, 25th January, seven rangatahi came together to co-create an exhibition for the Care-Experienced Youth Pop-Up Museum—an initiative by VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai in partnership with the Foster Youth Museum.

This free pop-up exhibition was designed by rangatahi with lived experience in care, sharing their stories, resilience, and mana through art, personal artifacts, and storytelling. Throughout the day, they worked together to shape a powerful and meaningful space, weaving their journeys into a collective expression of their experiences.

Open to the public, the exhibition provided a unique opportunity for whānau, friends, social workers, professionals, funders, and the wider community to connect, reflect, and honor the voices of care-experienced young people. Many attendees were deeply moved by the raw and emotional stories on display.

Rangatahi curated a collection of personal artifacts representing their lived experiences, relationships, and the impact of caregivers and social workers. Items on display included a graduation teddy from a group home, cherished belongings from the first day in care or a new placement, photos of loved ones, excerpts from Oranga Tamariki files, and more. Contributions also came from care-experienced rangatahi who couldn’t attend the workshop but wished to share their journey.

The response was overwhelming—visitors were in awe of the courage and authenticity embedded in each display. This exhibition was a powerful testament to the strength, resilience, and creativity of our rangatahi.

We look forward to bringing this experience back to Ōtautahi soon—watch this space!