Join us online on 6 May 2026 at 14:00 - 15:15 for A Right to Decide: Empowering Children to Shape Cultural Space, the third in a series of three Constellations ° Assemblies, curated by UP Projects, exploring spatial justice and the role that art and artists can play in advocating for more inclusive cities.
A Right to Decide will explore how public art commissioning and engagement can contribute to shaping Child Friendly Cities in the UK and internationally; most notably the role of public art and co-creation in sustaining and championing Unicef’s Child Friendly Cities in the UK and wider Europe.
The event will feature case studies and speakers from two Child Friendly Cities: Helsinki, Finland, the first Nordic city recognised by UNICEF in 2024, and Nottingham, UK, which is a candidate for official recognition as a Child Friendly City. Through this conversation, we will explore how artists, commissioners and institutions can work more equitably with children to ensure their voices, needs and priorities are integrated into public policies, programmes and decision-making.
Pirjetta Mulari, Chief of Children’s Culture for Helsinki and Director of Annantalo Arts Centre, will talk about Helsinki’s Child Friendly City Status and initiatives for Culture in the city. Sanni Priha of Toisissa Tiloissa collective will showcase Rhizome, a project commissioned by the HAM Helsinki Art Museum with schoolchildren at the Tehtaankatu elementary school in Helsinki (2020 – 2023).
Cathy Mahmood, ChalleNGe Manager in Nottingham, will talk about Nottingham’s ChalleNGe initiative and the steps they’re taking towards becoming a Child Friendly City. Rebecca Beinart, Collaborative Programme Lead at PRIMARY in Nottingham, will talk about Build, Create, Play, a project working with local families and young people around Ronald Street Playground in Radford (2019 – 2024).
The event will be moderated by Manijeh Verghese, CEO (Open City).
As the decision makers of tomorrow, UP Projects believe young people are one of the most vital constituents to collaborate and create with today. By bringing young people into the conversation, we are not only empowering them to positively shape their neighbourhoods but are also helping them gain new skills and a deeper understanding of the world around them.
The event will be accessed via UP Projects’ digital participation space, The Hall, and will take place on Zoom.
To enable access to this high-quality programme, UP Projects operates a “Pay What You Can” ticketing policy for Assemblies, with a suggested donation of £5 per event. You can book by entering a minimum of £1.
Constellations ° Assemblies is curated by UP Projects and supported by Arts Council England.
Accessibility
Live captioning and British Sign Language interpretation will be available during all Constellations ° Assemblies. If you have any specific access needs, please email constellations@upprojects.com in advance of the event, and we will assist where possible. Alternative interpretation and access needs are generously supported by Arts Council England.
Speakers
Related Resources
Please note this is by no means an exhaustive list of resources and we welcome recommendations. If you are aware of any important research related to this topic please contact jack@upprojects.com with more information and the relevant links.
Related Links: