From poverty to possibility: critical ethnography and community solutions in Wales

This paper presents a critical ethnographic account of collaborative work between academic researchers and the Trem y Mynydd school-community in North Wales, addressing the lived realities of child poverty through place-based educational initiatives. Centring on the Maritime Heritage Conservation (MHC) curriculum project, the study illustrates how local histories, family archives, and community-led activities have been mobilised to reimagine schooling, youth engagement, and future employment pathways. The research critiques the gap between progressive Welsh Government policies and their limited implementation amid austerity and UK-wide funding constraints. Drawing on the principles of Children First and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the authors position their work as the performance of critical theory in action – an ethical, situated response to structural inequality. The paper concludes by calling for a multi-national coalition against child poverty, rooted in rights-based advocacy, participatory scholarship, and a socially democratic vision of Wales.