MAKE+CREATE at CIVIC SQUARE

A hands-on, drop-in session for 5—16 year olds to make and craft with real tools and materials on the Neighbourhood Public Square site.
About this Event



Aged 5—16 years? Come and join us with a parent or carer for a hands-on, drop-in session where you will be able to make and craft with real tools and materials on the Neighbourhood Public Square site.

As we approach our second annual summer build with MATT+FIONA and the young people from the Design & Construction Club, we are taking the opportunity to open out the invitation to young people beyond the programme.
During the session, we will be guided by the young people from Design & Construction Club as well as the CIVIC SQUARE and MATT+FIONA teams for an opportunity to explore tool and material literacy. From learning how to use household tools to exploring ways we can create basic structures, the team will be at hand to share these skills in an intergenerational space.
Children will also be able to learn more about the Design & Construction Club at CIVIC SQUARE, and see how to get involved for the years to come, as well as contributing to our 3-day summer build on site.
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Practical Information

Dates: Tuesday 28th—Thursday 30th July 2026
Time: 3.30pm—4.30pm
Join us at from 3pm for refreshments
Location:

Neighbourhood Public Square, Rotton Park Street, Birmingham, B16 0AB

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What To Expect

• Ahead of the open session itself, you are welcome to join us at The Floating Front Room from 3pm (head through South Loop Park to our green barge moored canalside). From here you can grab a drink and a cake and settle in before the session starts.
• There will be a short introduction at South Loop Park at 3.30pm to welcome you into the session and share what you and your child/children can expect
• The practical session itself will start from 3.30pm
• Members of the CIVIC SQUARE and MATT + FIONA teams will be your hosts for the afternoon and will be on hand to help you navigate the afternoon, answer any questions you may have and help you make connections
• In these sessions, you will be learning practical tool skills, so it's important to come dressed for the session - please note, closed toe shoes & hair tied back are a must! We will provide some PPE (gloves, safety goggles and a high vis vest) for the session itself. Please remember to also bring a refillable water bottle as you may get thirsty!

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Registration

• You are more than welcome to come by for a drop in without prior communication, but we encourage you to register ahead of the session to let us know you're planning to join so we can anticipate numbers and plan accordingly
• Everyone will be checked in via Eventbrite upon arrival and if you arrive without registering, we will register you on the day via Eventbrite
• Tickets are limited and if your child/children are no longer able to attend, please cancel your ticketas soon as possible to allow someone else to take part
• Please note that no phones will be allowed during this hour to ensure safeguarding and to create an opportunity to be more present in the activities - this will be for both the young people and the adults
• Please ensure that you register yourself with the young person as this activity requires a guardian present - we ask that you do not register more than 2 children per adult
• Children aged between 5 years—16 years are welcome to join us but must be accompanied by an adult at all times

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Site Safety

Make & CREATE will take place take place in and around the Neighbourhood Public Square Site at at Canalside House, Tubeworks, Rotton Park Street, Ladywood, Birmingham, B16 0AB. We will be meeting at The Floating Front Room at .

• Closed toe shoes or boots must be worn on site—if you have hard soled shoes, such as site boots, walking boots, or winter boots of any kind, please do wear those
• Hi vis vests will be provided when you come into the Courtyard and we ask that you keep these on at all times whilst you are on the Neighbourhood Public Square site. Other PPE including hard hats, goggles, gloves and masks will be provided for when we’re working within the buildings — these will be compulsory PPE for all participants
• We ask that you and your child/children please do not go beyond the designated areas, indicated by heras fencing and floor markings
• The ground is uneven in places, so please navigate carefully and look out for each other
• A compost toilet will be available on this site, accessible by 3 stairs
• Please note, no food or uncovered drinks should be consumed on site and refreshments will be served from the park adjacent to site

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About MATT + FIONA

MATT+FIONA believe that every young person should be able to see themselves reflected in the world; this starts by giving them the opportunity to shape it themselves. They believe that a better, fairer built environment begins by genuinely listening to young people and giving them the skills, tools and confidence to design the places where they live, learn and play.
Through live projects and workshops, they enable young people to imagine, design, even build real spaces. In doing so, they gain far more than technical skills: they develop creativity, resilience, self-worth and a lifelong curiosity about the world around them. They learn that their ideas matter, and that they have the power to make positive change.
The built environment is complex and, too often, excludes young people. At the same time, creative learning opportunities in schools are in sharp decline and many youth spaces have disappeared. By giving young people real agency in shaping local places, we address both these gaps: Communities gain more inclusive, representative spaces, and young people gain skills, confidence and a lasting sense that their ideas can make a difference.
Their vision is for a world where every young person is valued—by themselves and by others – and where shared spaces genuinely represent and include everyone. When young people can make tangible contributions to their environment (in school, neighbourhoods and public spaces), they develop a life-long care for the built world and begin to imagine different futures for themselves. We believe this should be part of every child’s education: learning how places are shaped, and how they can have a say in shaping them.
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Site As A Classroom

Site As A Classroom is a long-term collective practice to ensure every phase of designing, building, repairing and stewarding our sites is an open, inclusive, and shared opportunity for learning together in our neighbourhood and beyond.
Our intention is for our team, neighbourhood, and wider national and industrial scales to learn from the ongoing demonstration through Neighbourhood Public Square and Retrofit House in real-time, as well as informing how we learn from what the site, ecoregion, neighbourhood, peers, and precedents can continue to teach us, without end.
Find out more: bit.ly/PublicSquareDesign