Launch of ‘Perspectives on Poverty’ Poetry Collection

A Creative Insight into Poverty

Last night, as part of End Child Poverty Week, we launched ‘Perspectives on Poverty‘, a poignant poetry collection written by children and young people from Tallaght aged 8 to 15. The event, held at CDI’s venue, showcased the young poets’ voices as they shared their creative explorations of poverty.

This unique publication, developed under the guidance of poet and creative writing teacher Clifton Redmond, provides a deep and moving perspective into how young people perceive and reflect on poverty through creative expression.

Transformative Creative Process

Clifton Redmond praised the courage and insight of the young poets, noting that the process of writing these poems not only transformed the participants but had a lasting impact on him as well.

Three of the young poets—Nico, Hunter, and Kai—read their works aloud to an audience of 40 attendees, marking a special moment of shared creativity and reflection.

Words from the Participants

“Some of us volunteered to take part in the poetry workshop, based on poverty. We were asked to create characters, put ourselves in their point of view, and use that as the basis for our poems. We worked on two characters, one of which explored how we might feel if we were living through poverty ourselves. Some of us did illustrations related to poverty.” Kai Langan Byrne, Young Poet

“I think the poetry helped us express ourselves and express our feelings about certain topics and show our creativity on the topics.”
Nico Barry, Young Poet

“Creativity is an invaluable way to tap into thoughts and experiences which we might otherwise find hard to articulate. I loved working with these young people who had such enthusiasm to learn and share.” Clifton Redmond, Poet and Creative Writing Teacher

“Youth work is all about finding ways to build self-esteem, independence, and critical thinking. This poetry project was a new but very positive experience for the participants and gave them a great sense of achievement.” Andy Leeson, Foróige

“I am delighted to launch this beautiful publication and hope that all the children and young people who took part in the project are very proud of themselves. We know that staying in education is a key influence on later outcomes, and because we all learn differently, it’s important that we offer different activities and approaches. CDI was pleased to partner with Foróige, Citywise Education, and Tusla on this project.” Catríona Rodgers, CDI Board Member

The Project’s Background

In 2019, CDI conducted in-depth research into the prevalence and experience of poverty, culminating in the publication of ‘Over the Fence‘ (Shumba et al, 2021). This report provided valuable insights from children, young people, and their parents, highlighting areas that needed more focused attention from service providers.

Building on these findings, CDI recognised the importance of delving deeper into how young people understand and experience poverty. With this in mind, CDI launched a series of poetry workshops, led by Clifton Redmond, to give children and young people a platform to express their thoughts and feelings through creative writing.

The poetry collection, *Perspectives on Poverty*, emerged from workshops focused on the theme of poverty. Participants were encouraged to create fictional characters and settings, enabling them to safely explore and reflect on the subject matter. While the poems are fictional, they provide a powerful lens into how young minds engage with the topic of poverty.

Part of #EndChildPovertyWeek
#EqualityForAll

About Clifton Redmond
Clifton Redmond, a celebrated poet with a B.A. in Humanities from Saint Patrick’s College, Carlow, and an MPhil in Creative Writing from Trinity College, Dublin, has been instrumental in guiding this project. Redmond’s work has been widely recognised both nationally and internationally, and he is the recipient of several awards, including the prestigious Irish Chair of Poetry Award. His extensive experience working as a socially engaged artist, particularly with vulnerable groups, made him an ideal facilitator for this initiative.

Acknowledgements
This publication was made possible through the generous support of the Tusla Participation Grant, for which CDI extends its deepest gratitude. Special thanks are also due to the dedicated staff and volunteers at Citywise Education and Foróige, whose efforts were crucial in engaging the young participants and supporting them throughout the process. For more information, please visit www.cdi.ie