Cardboard Citizens created a paid youth ambassador role in honour of Terry O Leary, a much-loved member of the Cardboard Citizens community whose creativity, insight, and commitment made a lasting impact on our work.
This role had been funded through donations made in their memory to support a young person to develop skills that will explore celebration, resilience and the intersection between homelessness, raising awareness of gender-based violence and the importance of creative projects within the arts.
All values Terry championed and worked hard to ensure their voices were centred and at the heart of our work.
We asked our youth ambassador to share her experience since working as our youth ambassador on various projects and here is what she had to say:
“My name is Zhane, and I was a Youth Ambassador for Cardboard Citizens. I held the role for four months, where I supported a couple of projects, which were InspireHER, More Than One Story Live, and Theatre Makers.
I applied to be a Youth Ambassador because I wanted to be part of something that truly makes a difference. I felt that becoming a Youth Ambassador was a natural next step and it gave me an opportunity to bring my experience, deepen my understanding of what Cardboard Citizens does, and continue to grow.
Throughout the projects I worked on, I noticed a real development in my confidence. From when I first started on InspireHER to when I later supported Theatre Makers, I became more outspoken and comfortable sharing my ideas.
One of the highlights of the role was helping with More Than One Story Live and getting to see what happens behind the scenes to make the event come together. It gave me a new appreciation for how much work, passion, and care go into these projects, and it made me want to continue being part of bringing them to life. Another highlight was doing tech for Theatre Makers, where I helped create the lighting and control the sound for the show.
My time as a Youth Ambassador has inspired me to explore more opportunities in the creative arts, especially behind-the-scenes work. I’ve realised how much I enjoy the journey of creating something and being part of the process that makes it all happen.”
Zhane on the set of More Than One Story (2024)
Terry O’Leary (1960-2024)
