Raw Voices: When Young People Speak from the Heart

The workshop takes place every last Saturday of the month in Blanc-Mesnil, from 19:00 to 21:00. Since its launch in July 2025, Raw Voices has already created a warm and creative community of young people who share one goal: to speak honestly, and to listen deeply.

A Space for Real Voices

Each session begins with something simple but powerful, a circle.
Everyone checks in, not just with their name, but with how they feel that day.
Then, a few short writing prompts open the door to creativity: a word, a memory, or a feeling.

There are no right or wrong answers. You can write, perform, whisper, or stay silent.
Some participants come with notebooks full of poems. Others arrive with nothing and discover their voice on the spot.

Highlights from the First Three Sessions

Session One – “Beginnings” (July 27, 2025)

The first gathering focused on finding your voice.
Fourteen young participants came together, many meeting for the first time.
The writing prompt — “Something I’ve never said out loud…”, brought emotional and surprising pieces about identity, love, and silence.

Some read their work for the first time in front of others.
There were tears, laughter, and moments of deep connection.
By the end, everyone agreed: this was more than a workshop, it felt like a shared heartbeat.

Session Two – “Between Silence and Sound” (August 31, 2025)

In the second session, participants explored how silence can be as expressive as sound.
After a gentle breathing exercise, they worked with prompts like “The silence after…” and “What my voice remembers.”

Pairs experimented with reading each other’s words, changing rhythm and tone.
At one point, the whole group created an improvised performance, voices overlapping, words echoing, silence holding everything together.

Session Three – “Roots and Rebellion” (September 28, 2025)

The third session invited participants to write about where they come from.
The prompt  “I come from a place where…” , led to strong and emotional pieces about family, migration, and identity.

For the first time, some poems were performed in two languages, French and English.
The group also experimented with rhythm, body movement, and freestyle sound.

The evening ended with an open mic moment, where everyone was invited to share or simply listen.
The feeling in the room was powerful, a mix of energy, vulnerability, and unity.

What We Learned

Over the first three sessions, participation grew from 14 to nearly 20 young people. Each meeting showed how voice and community can build confidence and connection.

Participants learned to use silence, rhythm, and breath as part of their storytelling. They supported one another with gentle feedback and shared inspiration. Many described Raw Voices as a space where they could “breathe freely” and “feel heard for the first time.”

The workshops also proved that language is never a barrier. People spoke in English, French, Arabic, Serbian, and Spanish. It didn’t matter how perfect the grammar was. What mattered was the truth behind the words.

Raw Voices is not a competition, it’s a community.
After each session, participants stay to chat, exchange ideas, or share music.
Some have started collaborating on projects together, while others return each month just to listen and be inspired.

UCA is already planning new themes for the next sessions and a public showcase in early 2026, where participants will perform their favorite pieces in front of an audience.
Future workshops will also include sound recording and podcast creation, giving participants the chance to turn their spoken words into digital art.

In a world where many young people feel unheard, spaces like Raw Voices remind us of something essential, that every voice matters.
Speaking out can be healing. Listening can be powerful. And when people come together to share their stories, change begins quietly, from the inside out.

Join the Circle

Every last Saturday of the month, 19:00–21:00
Blanc-Mesnil, Île-de-France
Open to ages 15–30
uniondecitoyensactifs@gmail.com