Young people in care can more easily fall through cracks in the education system due to a lack of nurture and support for their learning and well-being.

Care leavers are more likely to be NEET than the population average.

There is a lack of diversity in the creative industries where there are opportunities for creativity, self-expression, and community that would benefit care leavers.

Emmanuella's experience of poor support in higher education caused her to rethink her approach to learning. Having been through the care system and experienced the benefits of alternative educational pathways in increasing access to the creative industries, Emmanuella sought to address the lack of support available for older care-experienced young people and the barriers they face to employment.

Big Change supported Emmanuella with early stage funding and tailored support to develop The Big Mouth.

The Big Mouth provides care-leavers and at-risk young people with a platform to showcase their creativity and share their lived experiences and perspectives on the issues affecting them.

Each project, ranging from podcasts, films and theatre shows to music, documentaries and virtual educational workshops, is an opportunity for the young people from The Big House membership to grow in confidence, develop their skills within the creative industry, build their portfolios, and attract other employment opportunities.

Through The Big Mouth, members of The Big House can reach other marginalised young people across the country with creative content that will speak to them and inspire them. The work produced can also be used as resources by educators in alternative provisions to connect with, inspire, and engage their students in discussions on the issues raised.

The learnings and outcomes achieved will feed into The Big House's manifesto for changing young lives and a toolkit for engaging marginalised young people.

Emmanuella is a digital creative with a strong desire to affect real change. She is a care leaver and believes in supporting young people in the care system and alternative provisions.

With support from The Prince's Trust and alternative educational pathways, she achieved a successful career in digital marketing before moving on to The Big House.

Zoe is a fundraising officer at the Big House, the incubating organisation of the Big Mouth. She also was a co-leader of the Big Mouth project, alongside Emmanuella.

Zoe is a politics graduate with a rich career in both charities and local government. She specialises in fundraising and has experience in impact measurement and project strategy. Zoe is the youngest female councillor and chair in North Northamptonshire Council