Imaginate have been developing a children’s rights-based approach to our organisation for over three years now. This has largely been driven by our UNCRC-focused project Creative Encounters, but has expanded across the organisation, with a children’s rights focus across policy and decision making throughout the team.
On 20 November (World Children’s Day), approx. 50 children from primary schools in North Edinburgh joined us at North Edinburgh Arts for our first ever Children’s Summit to take part in creative workshops and round-table discussions about what they want the future of children’s cultural activity to look like in Scotland. It was an incredible way to celebrate everything we’ve achieved through Creative Encounters, and consult with children about what really matters to them.
We are now collaborating with Children’s and Youth Arts Advocacy (CYAA) and Starcatchers to further explore children’s cultural rights and how these can be central to future arts strategies for children and young people in Scotland.
This builds on the work already done as part of Time To Shine, which included a National Youth Arts Advisory Group (NYAAG). The NYAAG was made up of 14 to 24 years olds, who helped determine the priorities of youth arts at a regional and national level.
Now, CYAA are exploring how children aged 0-12 can influence arts strategy in Scotland.
Imaginate and Starcatchers are carrying out a child-centred consultation to look at the following research questions:
- What would it look like if the process to create a babies, children, and young people’s arts strategy was led by a child?
- How can we create space for input and influence that does not rely on children participating / consulting within adult frameworks?
Starcatchers are focusing on consultation for children aged 0-5, and Imaginate are working with children aged 5-12. Our consultation is being led by Creative Projects Facilitator Lou Brodie, but all members of the team will be involved.
One of Imaginate's consultation methods is an activity we’re calling “If I Were The First Minister”, an interactive playground pop-up using cardboard cutouts of politicians, where children take the stand to share what arts-related decisions they would make as First Minister.
I got to see a group of children at Forthview Primary School (our partner school for Creative Encounters) test out this idea, and I loved hearing their ideas for what they would do if they were in charge. They value the fun of creativity, they see the potential in creative careers, and they’re concerned about the cost of getting involved in arts activities – they advocate for free art supplies for children and schools, more free museums and galleries, and making theatre and dance more accessible.
Next up, we are also delivering “Hot Takes”, a workshop which generates conversations with small groups of children about their relationship to culture and cultural activity. Using the power of scenic design, we take over a meeting room transforming it into a sparkly and welcoming dining room. Then over hot chocolate and marshmallows, members of the Imaginate team conduct a recorded conversation with small groups of young people using question prompts from the biscuit jar.
Finally, we are working with PhD candidate Thérèse Kearns who is researching international examples of rights-based, participatory approaches to arts policy and planning with young children. This will result in a resource that will summarise and analyse the different approaches, in order to inform arts strategy for young children going forward.
To find out more about this project, email fiona@imaginate.org.uk.
This project is funded by Creative Scotland.
Written by Anna Broomfield, Schools & Communities Project Coordinator at Imaginate