Published 04.07.2022
by Kids’ Own
by Kids’ Own
A children’s arts organisation and publishing house.
A children’s arts organisation and publishing house.
On Friday 1st of July, Kids’ Own launched our latest book – Love is Love: A book about teen queer experiences by Young People from Sligo and Leitrim — at the Model in Sligo. This book was created by LGBTQIA+ young people from Sligo and Leitrim, in partnership with Youth Work Ireland North Connaught’s SMILY LGBTI youth group, as well as other young LGBTQIA+ people from the region.
Since 2019, Kids’ Own has partnered with the SMILY LGBTI+ youth group, and has designed and facilitated creative projects to allow young people to explore and express their experiences, thoughts, and identity through contemporary art, as well as conversation and writing. Funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth through the LGBTI+ Strategy Funding, these successive creative projects allowed young people from counties Sligo and Leitrim to come together, online and in person, to have their voices heard.
Some of the young people who created the book attended the launch and read from the book to a large attentive audience. Project writer Mary Branley spoke about the experience of the project and the connections that were formed through the different phases of the project. It was also an opportunity for a photo shoot at Kids’ Own’s very first billboard!
After the launch, some of the young people involved in making the book spoke with the Irish Times. You can read their thoughts here: ” ‘With some people I’d have to spend half an hour justifying my existence’: Teen queer experiences documented in new book”
Read more about Love is Love and order your copy of the book via the link below!