Keys to the Future

To note World Mental Health Day on October 10, 2022, it was a pleasure to share a new poem and animation written by the Children’s Laureate Wales, in partnersip with The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales. The poem, Keys to the Future, was inspired by a series of poetry workshops on the effects of technology on children’s mental health.

The poetry workshops took place in two Cardiff primary schools in April 2022 following online debates on the topic organised in the schools by The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales together with Technology Enabled Care Cymru. During the workshops, Connor encouraged the pupils to express and take ownership of their opinions by writing their own poems. 

The series of workshops and the children’s responses inspired a new poem by the Children’s Laureate, titled Keys to the Future, which has been adapted into an animated video by Cardiff based graphic designer and illustrator Ross Martin.