THE SOUND COLLECTION MOBILE

THE SOUND COLLECTION

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ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Sound Collection is part of Caring Scotland, a far-reaching creative oral history project that documents the lives and experiences of at least 100 members of the care experienced community in Scotland. Over the course of eighteen months,from Autumn 2024 until early 2026, the National Theatre of Scotland has been working with care-experienced communities across the country as part of Caring Scotland. The invitation was to share their own story in their own words that would live in perpetuity and form The Sound Collection within the National Library of Scotland Sound Collection, as well as on the National Theatre of Scotland website. These stories have also inspired the touring installation One Hundred Voices and the photographic exhibition Ten Portraits. The project aims to raise the profile, celebrate the achievements and foster empowerment of the care experienced community and is inspired by the practice of playwright and socially engaged theatre-maker, Nicola McCartney. Overall, we listened to 102 stories and this is where you will find a selection of extracts from the stories from those individuals who gave us permission to share them here with you.

meet the team

find out more

The project will be delivered by NTS in partnership with Who Cares? Scotland and the National Library of Scotland, funded with an award from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Supported by:The Weir Charitable Trust and The Rayne Foundation.

National Theatre of Scotland, a company limited by gurantee and registered in Scotland (SC234270), is a registered Scottish charity (SC033377).

MEET THE TEAM

ROXANA COLE

ARTIST FACILITATOR AND DRAMATURG

KAI FISCHER

LIGHTING DESIGNER

MAL FRASER

ARTIST FACILITATOR

KEVIN P. GILDAY

ARTIST FACILITATOR

JO MANGO

ARTIST FACILITATOR

NICOLA MCCARTNEY

LEAD ARTIST AND SCRIPT

SARA SHARAAWI

ARTIST FACILITATOR

KAREN TENNENT

DESIGNER

KAREN MCGRADY PARKER

PROJECT MANAGER

Just got up to all sorts of crazy stuff

I've got to live with this for the rest of my life, and it shouldn't have happened

It's been better than any awards I've ever won, or than working with any TV show or movie stars

They are not always on our side

I wasn't jealous of what they had, but I didn't like the way it made me feel

Never back down

I met my birth mum when I was 15

I now know I was more than enough

We have a story for you

I just see me being care experienced as making me a particularly resilient individual

She was in my life

I've been stuck in this mess of going into homeless accommodation coming out of it, going in, coming out of it

You want to fit in, it's survival mode

First in family to go to Uni

Don't be othered. Be you

A Mansion

Dear Scottish Care System I have changed and so can you

My voice wasn't involved

Someone came into my primary four classroom and took me away with my sisters

I didn't get told, like, kind of what was happening

I would recommend fostering

Transracial adoptees have a very different experience

Get me in that debating chamber and I will make them cry

I grieved for my own childhood

I always wanted to look like somebody

They're like, "You only got in because they had to tick a box"

Craig Tara is my favourite place of all time

I was like, you know what? It's all worth it

It was kind of like difficult when you met, like, other black kids

Scotland has a shady past

No one could beat me

Resilience is important

Education is such a battle

Being rooted in something that gives you a sense of purpose and hope and acceptance, really can help

The first time I was bursting with pride

Nobody really talked about it in our family. It was just, this is what’s happening

I think we're living on a generation of people that never were

if you don't feel safe at home, literally, you're in survival mode

All it comes down to, with me, is luck

I have always questioned things

We've also done the "going into care" boxes

Well, we're no disposable, no forever, or we shouldnae be

I was wondering if you've anything left over from dinner

You are entitled to your story, you are entitled to your self worth

There was a quiet grief that hummed in the background in my life

The cycle ends with me

Don't give up

No story is the same

It’s a bit terryifying like, when your like 13

I felt overwhelmed by the loud environment

It's all people for me: people's the thing that makes life

there was a definite perception of how you might be and how you might act

I get to help other people who are going through it

Don't assume

No one really gets how hard and difficult it's being in the shoes of someone who's had a complex life

You don’t have this hold on me anymore

I dream of a Yellow Corsa

I'm not my label, I am me

You never really get over it

It has to be burned down

It enabled me to be not as anti social

A lot of care experienced people don't wear jackets

So thats kinship care innit

That's a big thing, keeping siblings together

It wasnt my fault

When I was first moved there, I think, yeah, three and a half, I climbed Stac Pollaidh

I’d go in one door and right out the other door

I was there because I hadn't gone to school, and here I was not going to school... And worse

The thing I think I would want people to know, if you're taking on a foster child is

I just didn’t trust anyone

Be Reborn into a Dove of Peace

Maybe I could be a hairdresser

Those survival mechanisms are strengths

You dont get a certain type of child

because we weren't together it damaged that relationship

Play/Pause Audio

Exit

Some stories contain references to sexual, physical and emotional harm as well as mental health and suicidal ideation.

I understand

Nobody really talked about it in our family. It was just, this is what’s happening - Sharon, 54

They're like, "You only got in because they had to tick a box" - Jess, 18

That's a big thing, keeping siblings together - Eilidh, 20

We have a story for you - Chloe, 20

Someone came into my primary four classroom and took me away with my sisters - Sophie, 24

I've been stuck in this mess of going into homeless accommodation coming out of it, going in, coming out of it, - Max, 35

Just got up to all sorts of crazy stuff. - Lee, 36

Don't assume - Sam Grace, 25

No one could beat me - Alasdair, 24

It has to be burned down - Billy, 25

because we weren't together it damaged that relationship - Ryan, 17

The cycle ends with me. - Faith, 23

My voice wasn't involved - Serena, 48

I didn't get told, like, kind of what was happening - Sophie, 16

It was kind of like difficult when you met, like, other black kids - Leah, 23

I was there because I hadn't gone to school, and here I was not going to school... And worse - Anonymous, 61

I dream of a Yellow Corsa. - Tabitha, 21

I was wondering if you've anything left over from dinner - Rikki, 65

I grieved for my own childhood - Stephen, 38

She was in my life -Paul, 19

I just see me being care experienced as making me a particularly resilient individual - Christopher, 33

Get me in that debating chamber and I will make them cry - Craig, 33

You never really get over it -James, 21

It enabled me to be not as anti social - Chloe, 16

Being rooted in something that gives you a sense of purpose and hope and acceptance, really can help. -Maria, 47

You dont get a certain type of child -Alisha, 29

Don't be othered. Be you. - Michael, 60

Well, we're no disposable, no forever, or we shouldnae be -Laura, 34

I would recommend fostering - Jeremy, 75

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised during The Sound Collection ​you can get help and advice from:

​Who Cares? Scotland Helpline open Monday – Friday, 12‑4pm. ​Anyone who is care experienced can access the helpline by calling 0330 107 7540 or by emailing help@whocarescotland.org Samaritans Helpline Free from any phone, any time. Call 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org To contact National Theatre of Scotland about Caring Scotland - Please email caring.scotland@nationaltheatrescotland.com or call 0141 221 0970 (Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm)

So thats kinship care innit - Snowy, 17

Never back down - Beth-Anne, 27

I wasn't jealous of what they had, but I didn't like the way it made me feel. - Carolanne, 41

Craig Tara is my favourite place of all time -Sahar, 21

Transracial adoptees have a very different experience -Gemma, 21

You are entitled to your story, you are entitled to your self worth -Pauline, 60

Don't give up - Catriona, 17

The first time I was bursting with pride -Charlie, 25

It's been better than any awards I've ever won, or than working with any TV show or movie stars - Scott, 42

Dear Scottish Care System I have changed and so can you - Gemma, 25

No one really gets how hard and difficult it's being in the shoes of someone who's had a complex life - Renee

if you don't feel safe at home, literally, you're in survival mode - Chelbi, 27

It’s a bit terryifying like, when your like 13! - Kai, 27

I have always questioned things -Melissa, 25

A Mansion - Anonymous, Elle, Keira, Logan, Paul, Sarah, Aaliya, 8

When I was first moved there, I think, yeah, three and a half, I climbed Stac Pollaidh - Arran, 26

Resilience is important - Steven, 45

I'm not my label, I am me - Abbey, 19

Those survival mechanisms are strengths -Anonymous, 33

There was a quiet grief that hummed in the background in my life - Michelle, 27

We've also done the "going into care" boxes - Rhiannan, 16

The thing I think I would want people to know, if you're taking on a foster child is - Loraine, 51

Education is such a battle - Susan, 33

You don’t have this hold on me anymore - Chloe, 24

Be Reborn into a Dove of Peace -Beatrice, 53

It wasnt my fault - Chris, 14

It's all people for me: people's the thing that makes life -Shannon, 28

I think we're living on a generation of people that never were - Anonymous, 24

Maybe I could be a hairdresser - Logan, 17

All it comes down to, with me, is luck - Declan, 32

I've got to live with this for the rest of my life, and it shouldn't have happened - Linny, 28

I was like, you know what? It's all worth it. - Big Angus and Anonymous, 21

No story is the same - Leanne, 28

I’d go in one door and right out the other door - Anonymous, 14

there was a definite perception of how you might be and how you might act - Darren, 38

I just didn’t trust anyone - Faith, 17

They are not always on our side - Thomas, 16

First in family to go to Uni - Robyn,26

I now know I was more than enough - Khaleda, 52

I met my birth mum when I was 15 - Rochelle, 19

I always wanted to look like somebody - Alison, 53

I felt overwhelmed by the loud environment -Malayna, 16

I get to help other people who are going through it - Abi, 19

Scotland has a shady past -Samantha, 43

You want to fit in, it's survival mode - Yoonett, 50

A lot of care experienced people don't wear jackets - Kiki, 40