Make Space York Festival
free events and activities in Parks for teenage girls!
A chance to try new things, meet new people and be empowered in the public space.
Since 2023, the annual festival that runs in June has brought together over 300 girls each year to take part in free events and activities. The programme is designed with, and for, teenage girls. Helping them feel welcome, confident and inspired in York’s parks.
The focus is on aiming to reduce the drop off of park use as girls enter their teenage years. The free events allow girls to try new things, meet new people and reclaim the public space.
A mix of sports and exercise, arts and crafts, nature and wellbeing, social awareness, the performing arts – anything that will work in an outdoor space! The activities and events introduce girls to new things, allow them to explore an interest, meet new friends and role models and create a community of likeminded individuals.
The Make Space York Festival is a celebration of girls and community.
The festival won the first ever ‘Best of the Best’ Green Flag award for ‘Best Initiative to increase use of parks by women and girls’ in 2023. The new category recognised the growing need to target this group and raise awareness that parks are not used equally by all. The project, and therefore the festival, began in Rowntree Park in conjunction with the Friends of Rowntree Park – but has now grown and events have also been hosted in other York parks including Homestead Park and West Bank Parks.
The events are free to all involved to encourage as many girls to be able to access the activities as possible, therefore there is a need to find funding each year in grants and sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring or donating to the festival – get in touch!
The Make Space York Festival
See what it’s all about in this short video…
Get involved in the Make Space York Festival 2026
-Run an event as part of the festival
-Volunteer to help – planning or at the festival
-Sign up to the mailing list to be the first to hear about the festival for 2026
The Make Space York Festival 2025
Take a look at what happened in June 2025 in the blog.
