Make Space York Creative Workshop Programme 2026
A Call for Creative Facilitators.
Over the past few years, I’ve been working alongside teenage girls to rethink how parks can better support them. This work, now known as the Make Space York project, started with a simple but important question. Why do so many girls stop using parks as they enter their teenage years?
Again and again, girls told us the same things. Parks didn’t feel like they were for them. There was nothing to do. Spaces felt dominated by sport or younger children. Many said they felt uncomfortable staying in parks, and instead passed through quickly. And yet, what they wanted was not complicated. They wanted places to sit, to swing, to climb, to chat. Spaces where they could be themselves, without judgement, without pressure, without needing to “perform”, a place where they felt safe.
So that’s what we’ve been working towards. Not designing for girls, but designing with them. Since 2021, the project has grown into something much bigger than I first imagined. Together, we’ve co-created a dedicated teenage ‘play and social space’ in Rowntree Park, run free events and workshops, and started to influence wider conversations in the city about who our parks are really for.
But at its heart, this work is still about something very human- belonging, confidence and feeling like you are allowed to take up space. How girls feel about their right to be in parks filters through to how they feel in the public space. And what’s great is, when you make changes based on what teenage girls want – it works for many other groups too.
The Next Step
This year I’m developing a programme of creative workshops as part of Make Space York. They will run either side of the Make Space Festival weekends in June (April 2026-Feb 2027). This is grant funded. We trialed some sessions last year and did photography, and Riso printed Park Manifestos.
These sessions are about creating space for girls to explore their experiences, express their ideas, and shape the world around them in ways that feel meaningful. Creativity can open up conversations that are hard to have in other ways. It can help girls reflect on how they feel in public space, what needs to change, and what they want for the future. And importantly, it can be joyful, playful and social. A reason to spend time in parks and feel part of them.
Image: Riso session run by Jade and Chloe at York ZineFest 2025
Who I’m Looking For
I’m looking for artists, makers and creative facilitators to help bring this programme to life. More than anything, I’m interested in people who feel a genuine connection to the project:
-People who understand why this work matters.
-People who are comfortable working in a flexible, youth-led way.
-People who value participation, process and atmosphere just as much as outcomes.
The workshops could take many forms. What matters is that they feel welcoming, low pressure and relevant to teenage girls. This could be through art, making, storytelling, photography, or something completely different.
There is also an opportunity to co-create a collective outdoor artwork with girls that will be installed in Rowntree Park. Something visible. Something that says, clearly, this space includes them.
Why This Matters
Make Space York is a small, grassroots project. It exists because of the girls who have shared their experiences, the volunteers who support it, and the funding that makes it possible. I often say “we” when I talk about the project. That “we” is fluid. It includes me, the girls, and everyone who contributes along the way.
This next stage is about continuing that collective effort. If you are someone who cares about public space, about young people, about creativity as a way of listening and responding, I’d love to hear from you.
Image: Poppy Burr – Make Space Festival 2025
Get Involved
If this resonates with you, you can find full details about the workshops, themes, fees and how to apply here:
Or feel free to get in touch directly if you want to talk through an idea.
Deadline: 24 April 2026
This project is about creating parks where girls feel they belong.
And the people involved in shaping it matter just as much as the spaces themselves.
