The MakerWorld Gallery will provide a high-quality cultural programme for children and young people with visual art, film, music and dance workshops, exhibitions and an indoor skatepark.
The weekly, free drop-in MakerWorld sessions – part of The Children’s Art School – have been running since 2020. Building on the successes of the programme, MakerWorld is now extending its offer to include a gallery space and a programme of exhibitions, installations, and creative workshops for children of all ages, focusing on widening access and building community bonds through joyful creative endeavour.
The new children’s art gallery will support Kirklees Council's place-making agenda and the revitalisation of the town centre by providing a vibrant, family-friendly cultural destination.
The gallery – in the former Toyland shop in Huddersfield’s Piazza Centre – is designed for children, families and educators, recognising the vital role art and creativity plays in child development and community wellbeing.
Founder Chloe Williams says, “Our vision is a children’s art gallery and creative hub which will offer extraordinary encounters and interactive experiences that encourage hands-on engagement with art. It will be an inclusive space where young people from all backgrounds can participate, inspiring future creatives and democratising culture.”
A programme of exhibitions throughout the year will include Drift Tricks' skateable sculptures, while artists will facilitate community responses to the work, enabling children and young people to be artists and collaborators.
Williams adds, “Our parents tell us how happy they are to find creative activities that support family bonding, increase their child’s confidence and get them away from screens and they have long been asking us to extend the offer to teens. A children’s art gallery, creative hub and skatepark will increase regular engagement with visual arts and this aligns with the creative industries' significant contribution to the UK economy, generating more than £124 billion annually.”
The official launch will take place at the gallery on Saturday, 19 April from 11am as part of the Creative Piazza’s Spring Garden celebration. Youth club activities will start on Wednesday, 23 April.
About The Children’s Art School
The Children’s Art School is a charitable organisation committed to promoting the value of art education for children and young people, with the aim of teaching children that through art, they can change their world.
The Children’s Art School brings extraordinary, hands-on, creative opportunities to children and young people aged 2-18 across Kirklees and beyond, unlocking their creativity, celebrating their individuality, building confidence and igniting their interest in the arts.
Founded in 2015 by artist Chloe Williams, The Children’s Art School works with associate artists to make art and creative activities accessible to all. It creates opportunities for joyful artmaking in various locations, helping children become inspired and develop self-confidence in their own creativity and abilities and empowering them to affect and change the world they live in. The charity has also developed the MakerWorld spaces in Huddersfield and Dewsbury town centres.
For further details, visit thechildrensartschool.co.uk