This platform was developed in early 2017 through a collaboration of Ulster University's Community Youth Work team and YouthAction NI. UU and YANI came together to run a number of writing events or workshops under the title ‘Building a bank of writers’. An open invitation was extended to those who might be interested in writing about youth work and young people. The focus of this group was to write about youth work ideas and issues for a local audience. Further discussions revealed the lack of either print or on-line spaces which exist to publish or promote any written work. Critical Voice was developed to fill this gap, offering a space for local youth work to be explored; and working on written material that might stimulate debate in the youth work sector.
The Critical Voice platform is currently managed by Ulster University's Community Youth Work team and a practitioner advisory group.