by Kids’ Own
A children�s arts organisation and publishing house.
Kids’ Own is thrilled to share an update from our ongoing collaborative book project, in partnership with the Ombudsman for Children, as part of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO). The first creative session recently brought young participants together for an afternoon of activities, art, and discussions about children’s rights with artist Andy Parsons and writer Mary Branley. Children discussed what rights they thought children should have, with lots of excellent suggestions from participating children. The children then illustrated their ideas for different rights in multiple forms and we gathered these together on a visual board.
For our second creative session together, Thomas and Brianna, Participation and Rights Education Officers from the Ombudsman for Children’s Office, visited our group in Sligo. Associate writer Sarah O’Keeffe described the experience:
“We held our second creative session with the group on October 18th, which had a lot of excitement with some special visitors from Dublin! Thomas and Brianna from the Ombudsman for Children spent the afternoon sharing a little bit about their roles and how they help children learn about children’s rights. With an engaging mix of activities and chats, everyone shared ideas and enjoyed the session. We finished the afternoon with an art activity led by Andy Parsons involving long card paper for storytelling, involving different rights. It was a great afternoon; everyone learned something important about the Ombudsman’s role in helping children.”
The day provided a mix of creative expression and thoughtful dialogue about rights, with participants exploring their own imaginative interpretations. Andy Parsons, associate artist, reflected on the workshop:
“I think the group got a lot out of the workshop on Friday. Thomas and Brianna really got the group thinking about rights, using different activities and a giant wall drawing. After the group work, everyone worked on their own imaginative interpretations, using long scrolls of paper to create narratives around the rights of children.”
This session is part of an eight-week project where the group of children will create a book designed to amplify children’s voices and highlight their perspectives on key areas of the Ombudsman’s work. Kids’ Own is excited to see the continued creativity and insights that will emerge in the upcoming sessions.
Read all about the project here: https://kidsown.ie/projects/collaborative-book-project-with-the-ombudsman-for-children/