Caribbean Youth Voices Art for Action

The Caribbean Youth Voices: Art for Action Competition invited young people aged 15–30 from across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to use creativity, storytelling and artistic expression to share their experiences, perspectives and ideas for a healthier and more inclusive Caribbean.

Through visual art, poetry, music, spoken word, photography, film and other creative forms, young people were invited to reflect on what meaningful participation in health decision-making can look like — and to imagine what becomes possible when young people are not simply consulted, but are meaningfully included in shaping the decisions that affect their lives.

The competition was launched alongside the Guidance on Meaningful Engagement of Youth, Including Young People Living with Non-Communicable Diseases in Health Decision-Making in CARICOM, contributing to a wider regional conversation about youth participation, leadership and health decision-making.

Theme

Nothing For Us Without Us

Young people should be more than participants in decisions that affect their health and well-being; they should be partners in shaping them..

Artists were invited to explore:

• Youth leadership and participation
• Inclusion and representation
• Health equity and social justice
• Barriers and opportunities for engagement
• Partnerships between youth and decision-makers
• Your vision for a healthier Caribbean

Through their submissions, young people brought these ideas to life in ways that could not be captured by words alone.

Meet the Winners

The winners of the Caribbean Youth Voices: Art for Action Competition were announced during the Caribbean Youth Leading Change webinar.

Voice of Change Award
The Voice of Change Award recognises the submission that most powerfully communicates a vision, experience or solution related to youth engagement in health decision-making.

Winner: Crystal Archer
The Empty Chair

Vision for the Future Award
The Vision for the Future Award recognises the submission that presents a compelling vision for positive change and youth leadership in creating healthier Caribbean communities.

Winner: Amoya Vickers
Another Chair Placed
“Let the doctors bring knowledge,
The elders, years,
The parents, wisdom
As we glean with our ears.
And let the youth bring questions,
New visions, fresh views,
For better decisions are built
When there’s more than one truth.”

Healthy Caribbean Youth Choice Award

People’s Choice
This award celebrates the submission selected through public voting by the Healthy Caribbean Youth community.

Winner: Crystal Archer
The Empty Chair

The Virtual Art Gallery

The Caribbean Youth Voices: Art for Action submissions offer a glimpse into how young people across the region understand participation, leadership, health and the future they want to help create.

Explore the collection below.

From different countries, forms of creative expression and lived experiences, these works remind us that there is no single way for young people to contribute to the conversation.

Thank You to Our Judges

We extend our sincere appreciation to the judges who generously shared their time, expertise, and creative perspectives in reviewing the submissions:

Their thoughtful engagement helped us celebrate the creativity, perspectives and ideas shared by young people through this competition.

About Caribbean Youth Voices

Caribbean Youth Voices is part of a broader effort to strengthen meaningful engagement of young people, including young people living with non-communicable diseases, in health decision-making across CARICOM.

The Guidance on Meaningful Engagement of Youth, Including Young People Living with Non-Communicable Diseases in Health Decision-Making in CARICOM provides a regional framework for understanding what meaningful engagement can look like in practice, while the accompanying Caribbean Youth Voices Handbook brings together perspectives, experiences and examples from young people across the region.

Together, these efforts recognise that meaningful engagement is not simply about creating opportunities for young people to speak. It is about creating spaces where their contributions are respected, considered and connected to decisions.