Children’s Capital of Culture is working with over a hundred of Rotherham’s schools and colleges throughout our Festival Year. With our partners we are supporting Rotherham's children and young people to become change-makers for their communities.
The creative learning programme aims to enable:
- Children and young people to feel proud to call Rotherham their home
- Children to have more access to arts, sports and culture.
- Children to become creative thinkers and learners who make decisions about things that are important to them.
- Children to find out about more creative careers.
To achieve this, we are working with their schools, libraries and local and national creative, sports and cultural organisations, to increase access to new and inclusive projects and partners, festivals and events.
Reach
Through the dance festival, REACH, children and young people from over 20 schools will devise new performances, exploring the Children’s Capital of Culture programming themes. These will be performed during a two-day festival at Rotherham Civic Theatre in June 2025. In partnership with School Games and Hype Dance.
Reanimate
Children and young people from six schools will work with Kettu Studios and a group of emerging digital artists from Rotherham to create a new animated film. They will share the journey of a flying car, powered by clouds – with the power to change the world!
The film will double as creative consultation about the future of play in the borough and will premiere at our new festival, REPLAY.
Redesign
We are supporting teachers to work with children and young people to develop and lead brand-new activities in their schools, libraries or communities. These projects, involving six schools, include a radio station in partnership with Rotherham Radio, outdoor artworks, and a crochet club.
Reimagine
A drama education project, led by Chol Theatre. Primary children from four schools will create Imaginary Communities, exploring migration and building confidence, collaboration and empathy.
Remake
Working with The University of Sheffield’s Maker{Futures} teachers and librarians will design makerspace activities inspired by fiction and non-fiction books. Children from five schools will become the designers and problem solvers of the future, developing their confidence in science, technology, engineering and maths.
Replay
The REPLAY festival will be co-produced with young people and is a partnership with Wentworth Woodhouse, Arc Cinema and Into Film. The event will run from the 3rd – 8th November 2025 and will include screenings, exhibitions and careers events.
Children and young people from over thirty schools will create and share brand new creative work all about play – in the past, present and future! This will feature an interactive and immersive installation co-produced by young people, working with the Blanket Fort Club and a cinematic play-space for early years co-curated by Small World Cinema.
Rewrite
A host of literacy projects including Articulation with the National Gallery, Rotherham Young Writers led by Hive South Yorkshire, Unknown Stories with Grimm & Co and a work experience programme, where young people learn to design interactive, choose your own adventure game-stories for children.
Professional development
We support teachers, librarians and creative practitioners to develop and share their practice and connect with each other.
Our monthly Creative Teach-Meets help schools, libraries and cultural organisations to share inspiring practice and develop collaborations. They can also connect with our local and national partners. These include Royal Ballet and Opera, the National Gallery and Creativity, Culture and Education.
Partnership projects
We work with some amazing partners, including Flux Rotherham, Rotherham Music Service and the Yorkshire Sport Foundation who are running their own projects as part of Children’s Capital of Culture.
These partners are co-producing new events and activities with local children and young people and their communities. They’re also supporting schools to be part of exciting, large-scale creative projects.