Fledglings: Placemaking academy for young people.
Fledglings is an educational programme developed by Rocking Chair Riot CIC.
Young people are invited to become critical-thinking tour guides with one of the UK’s only critical guides trained in placemaking.
Bringing together geography, philosophy for children (P4C), and history to focus on four key pillars of what makes ethical and equitable places, fledglings students will discover how they have a stake and say in their towns and cities.
Walking workshops to encourage critical-thinking skills in young people.
As tour guides for a day, students will learn their influence over their environments; from the art we see, the places we play, and the ways we access or dwell in places.
Workshops are split between classroom and walking activities and teach critical-thinking skills for learners across age groups starting from aged 7 - 11 (Key Stage 2) and up to age 18 (25 for SEND students). They engage children in their surroundings and have them question how the public realm, towns, and cities can work better for them in the future.
With prompts and guidance, young people will assume the role of tour guide and learn that they can influence their environments; from the art we see, the spaces where we play, and the ways we access or dwell in our cities - have your young people think like planners (they probably already do!)
The goal of fledglings is to encourage critical-thinking skills directly relating to towns and cities; and having young people be able to communicate their observations and thoughts - for instance:
How equitable are our
places?
How can we change
them for the better?
How does the public
art here make me feel?
Who is this place
for?
Fledglings will prompt discussion about our urban environment such as shelter, seating, accessibility, and we provide some basic building blocks for feeling confident talking about these things to peers and adults.
At the end of the workshops, all participants are approved as critical-thinking guides and given a small pack including prompts to help them continue to assess places and talk about them independently.
Workshops can be one-offs or form part of a longer programme.
The end goal is for young people to realise they can influence how cities and towns are designed, and can expect more of the places they spend time. They will learn to be critical-thinking guides through their knowledge of placemaking.
Fledglings welcomes co-design, participatory democracy, and through collaboration with the young people involved it will constantly evolve and de/restructure.
the art we see
the places we play
REST
PLAY
EQUITY
PUBLIC ART
What to expect.
An example of a one day workshop.
Workshops begin in a small classroom environment where the group will use the fledglings card deck to cover four focus areas:
Rest
Play
Equity
Public Art
Each topic is explored through definitions, example scenarios, and two to four critical thinking prompts per area specific to urban spaces.
We’ll do a simple hands-on exercise thinking about public realm layout, then spend the rest of the workshop in a local public realm space talking to each other and applying what we’ve learned to the space to observe with a critical eye.
Participants graduate as critical-thinking guides and take home materials which include key prompts so that they can continuously be involved in rethinking urban spaces and places.
Alternative programmes.
Longer programmes or those aimed at older age groups will look at focus areas in greater detail. They can be tailored to run across multiple days, weeks or months, and can be adapted to suit community engagement projects, or focusing in on one particular area - for example, by highlighting public art as a priority, students can contribute to an open call for artists forming a community advisory panel. Or the programme might form part of a public consultation initiative.
Longer or more intensive levels of fledglings will also use external resources such as The Place Bureau’s Collaborative Place Futures toolkit, and the Thugz Mansion card deck from Privatise the Mandem.
All workshops regardless of length align to the UNESCO Future Literacy initiative, in helping young people adapt to long-term thinking and in taking control of shared futures.
Workshop leader.
Our workshop materials have been developed with young people, and walking workshops are led by Hayley Flynn; the UK’s only critical-thinking tour guide, and specialist in the ethics and equity of cultural placemaking.
Hayley is one of only eight Gehl Public Life Champions globally, recognised for ‘sharing critical thinking super powers with others’ and with experience in guiding and working with young people since 2011.
More about Future Literacy.
The programme aligns with the Future Literacy initiative by UNESCO, the outcomes of which are articulated here by the Plurality University Network from their Future Is Now project.
