The closing ceremony for Rotherham’s year as the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture has been confirmed to take place in March 2026. Rotherham made history in January when young people in Rotherham proclaimed it as the inaugural Children’s Capital of Culture. The ambitious youth-led project will continue into next year, culminating in a finale celebration event in March 2026. Outdoor arts specialist Walk the Plank is now working with the town’s young people to develop ideas for the event, which promises “a jaw-dropping centre piece, some pyrotechnics and much more! We’re here to do this brave project justice, looking ahead to the bright legacy that Children’s Capital of Culture is leaving.”
During its festival year, Rotherham’s young people have collaborated with cultural partners to deliver a diverse programme of music and magic, dance and drama, film and food, exhibitions and events and much more. Highlights so far have included Otherham Winter Light Festival, a trail of light and sound projections inspired by young people’s reimagining of Rotherham as an otherworldly place. There was also Roots, a street carnival themed around nature and the environment, UPLIFT urban sport and art festival, and community events like Ferham Festival, Whiston Gala and Aston Carnival. In November, Rotherham will host the largest community opera in the UK, in partnership with Royal Ballet and Opera, Grimm & Co and Rotherham Music.
Over 150 young people have been employed in the creative industries as part of the initiative, with alumni going on to work at Netflix, CBBC and Channel 4. Alongside this successful employment programme, Children’s Capital of Culture has also worked with over 100 schools and colleges through its creative learning programme, providing local children and young people with greater access to arts, sports, creative education and careers support. The project has brought colour and creativity to the borough’s streets, parks and schools with large-scale murals, outdoor art galleries and sculptures. It’s turned stately homes into playgrounds, and the RHS Flower Show into a teenage dirt park.
Pete Massey, Director, Yorkshire and The Humber, Arts Council England, added: “Rotherham’s year as the Children’s Capital of Culture has been historic. It has been amazing to see the opportunities for young people to not only engage with arts and culture in their town but to also shape it. It is great to hear that Walk the Plank will be collaborating with young people to produce the closing ceremony, supporting this new generation of artists to showcase their talent and to tell the story of their Rotherham in a spectacular finale to an incredible year of culture.”
For further information, visit http://www.childrenscapitalofculture.co.uk.