Make SPace Festival 2026 – A Celebration!
Hundreds of Girls Take Over York Parks for the Fourth Make Space Festival
June saw two of York’s parks filled with creativity, laughter, music, sport and friendship as the Make Space Festival returned for its fourth year.
Over two weekends, hundreds of girls joined us in Rowntree Park and Homestead Park to take part in a huge range of free activities designed specifically for older girls and young women. From football, rugby, basketball, dance, cheerleading, yoga and orienteering to photography, willow weaving, lino printing, riso poster making, clay sculpting, tote bag making, needle felting, jewellery making and lip balm creation, there was something for everyone.
Alongside the workshops and activities, Emerging Talent brought live music to the parks, giving young musicians the opportunity to perform, take part in open mic sessions and even try out instruments for the first time. Most importantly, the parks were full of girls.
Why does the festival exist?
The Make Space York project began in 2021 after conversations with local teenage girls about their experiences of parks and public spaces.
Again and again, girls told us that as they entered their teenage years, they often felt less welcome in parks. Some spoke about feeling too old for playgrounds but not wanting to spend time in sports areas that were often dominated by boys and young men. Others talked about wanting places to socialise, relax, be active, be creative and simply spend time with friends. The Make Space Festival was created in direct response to what girls told us.
The aim is simple: to help create parks where teenage girls feel welcome. The events provide opportunities to try new things, build confidence, meet new people and spend time in public spaces without feeling judged or overlooked. At the same time, they help demonstrate that parks can support many different types of activity and many different users.
Thank you
The Make Space Festival is a grassroots community project and simply wouldn’t happen without support. A huge thank you to every girl who came along and took part, every parent and carer who supported them, every facilitator who shared their skills, every volunteer who gave their time and every organisation that helped make the festival possible.
The search for funding for 2027 starts now, but for the moment we’re celebrating another fantastic year and looking forward to what comes next.
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