Rigorous research and curious creativity: partnering to hear children’s voices
25/09/2025
Over the past few weeks, the Voice of the Child project has embarked on a series of vibrant site visits in partnership with the team at Polyglot Theatre. Across health and early childhood settings, each visit offers unique opportunities to explore creative, child-led approaches to research.
The Voice of the Child team is grateful to the children, families, and educators for the warm welcome. These early experiences have surfaced valuable insights that are shaping how we refine and adapt our approach moving forward. We’d like to extend our thanks to Minderoo Foundation and VicHealth for generously supporting this work.
Image 1. Voice Lab - conversing with a character inside a dome. Pictured from left to right: Emily Tomlins (Polyglot co-founder, co-artistic director and artist), Alice Ghazarian (CCCH, VoC Implementation Lead), Lachlan MacLeod (Polyglot artist).
Key learnings so far
Creative activities open diverse pathways for expression
Offering a range of creative expressions — such as visual arts, narrative play and interactive dialogue — enables children to choose modes of communication that feel most natural to them. We’re continuing to explore how we can design activities that are both aligned with our research aims and responsive to the unique ways children communicate.
‘Voice’ takes many forms
We’re reminded that children’s voices are not always verbal. Expression can emerge through play, gesture, behaviour, and engagement. Picking up on these non-verbal cues is essential to understanding how children share their perspectives in ways that are authentic to them.
Image 2. Big Draw - drawing with pastels on a large communal canvas. Pictured: Lachlan MacLeod (Polyglot artist).
Relationships matter—and take time
We’re reminded that building trust and connection is a vital foundation before seeking children’s insights. In early childhood education and care settings, a full week of engagement allowed relationships to flourish. In contrast, the brief nature of interactions in a hospital waiting room highlighted the importance of adaptation to suit the rhythm and constraints of each environment.
Balancing rigour with creativity
Navigating the balance between research and ethical rigour, and creative flexibility is crucial. These aspects are essential for meaningful engagement with children and should be thoughtfully considered and planned for prior to engagements.
We look forward to sharing more as the project evolves, and to continuing our learning alongside children, families, and practitioners across diverse settings.
Access the Voice of the Child Tooklit
For more information, contact Alice Ghazarian, Voice of the Child Implementation Lead ([email protected]).
Image 3. Paper and Tape - making creatures, costumes, or props for pretend play or storytelling. Pictured: Julie Wright (Polyglot producer), Briony Farrel (Polyglot artist), Lachlan MacLeod (Polyglot artist), Cat Sewell (artistic co-director and co-CEO), Alice Ghazarian (CCCH, VoC Implementation Lead).
