Four young people who are adopted, living in blended and trans-national families came together whilst students at the University of Exeter to explore and examine the issues of complex identities and belonging through discussions, workshops and displays and approached Coram, through which Anthony Lynch was adopted aged 21 months, to help bring the programme to a wider audience.
The result has been an incubation partnership with In-Between Lines developing its website (www.inbetweenlines.co.uk) and vision for an independent peer-support charity to be led by and for young people, with hosted internships to enable also the development of understanding of the issues for practice and policy and advancement of cultural competence and practice in Coram group.
Spoken word, workshop and discussion events have addressed the different experiences of adoptees in different generations for National Adoption Week, colonial legacy and voices through time for Black History Month, and cross cultural support and life story for young people and the next steps include the co-production of the peer support programme for adopted teenagers at Coram, and the Youth Insight Forum at the heart of the Coram Institute for Children.