Children's Day: Reimagined

2023

A day for children, about children, by children

Children’s Day Workshop, Leeds 2022, Photo by Abbie Jennings

Imagine a day of community and celebration and protest.

Imagine a field covered in the words of children; all their dreams and demands and questions there for everyone to see.

Imagine building a peace camp together, for each other, to rest and eat and play.

Imagine 10,000 children and adults from all over Leeds standing together as the light slowly fades around them.

Imagine films flickering into life on giant screens, live performance, and spoken word, words of protest, of fury, of hope and joy.

Imagine the children of Leeds coming together and raising their voices to the night sky in song.

This is Children’s Day: Reimagined

Children’s Day: Reimagined, Leeds 2023

Will their voices be heard?

Inspired by the past and reimagined for the future, Children’s Day: Reimagined was a city-wide celebration of the children of Leeds. Taking place in Roundhay Park across a single day on the 14th of July, it took the original Children’s Day elements of parade, competitive sport and the crowning of a Children’s Day Queen, and exploded them into new forms and new ways for a community - led by children - to be together.

The social and cultural status of children in 2023 is very different from what it was in the 1960s, 1940s, 1920s. This contemporary children’s day celebrated the diversity of Leeds’ young population, amplified their voices, and invited them to protest, play, sing, gather and dream together, towards a different future.

Children’s Day: Reimagined was co-created with the Young Creatives; 11 young people aged 8-14 from across Leeds.

Meet the team

Creative Leads
Fevered Sleep

Young Creatives
Bessie Glassup
Amy Thomas
Charlie Fryer
Connie Erksine-Masterton
Lucia Roussounis
Ruby Koopman
Maia Manole
Caitlin Robinson
Anisha Lall
Ishuah Farrell
Joshua Smith

Textile Artist
Ingrid Bale

Composer
Emily Levy

Site Designer
Laura Ann Price

Supporters

Children’s Day: Reimagined was commissioned and produced by Leeds2023, funded by National Lottery Community Fund and Arts Council England.