Look who's talking: eliciting the voices of children from birth to seven

Look who’s talking: Eliciting the voices of children from birth to seven was an international seminar series funded by the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, that brought together researchers and practitioners who work with young children (birth to seven) to give and support ‘voice’ in respect to different aspects of their lived experience; in other words, to elicit voice. The intention was to create a space for individuals working in this relatively underdeveloped field to work in a collaborative process, engaging with associated theory and practice. The aims of the seminars were: to move debate forwards; to develop guidelines and provocations for practice; and to advance understandings of the affordances and constraints on the implementation of Article 12 of the UNCRC with young children.

The series comprises two seminars, one in January and one in June 2017, each of three and a half days duration. The first focused predominantly on mapping the field, sharing and discussing experiences and practices and exploring the affordances and constraints of eliciting the voices of those aged seven and under. It is this seminar on which this submission focuses. The second, held in June 2017, aimed to synthesise participants’ thinking and identify the needs and opportunities for development within the field.