Sparkhill – A Child’s Eye View is made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery, we’re delivered a year-long programme of community heritage activities.
This project grew from our Child Friendly Neighbourhood work. With children from our playschemes and clubs exploring what childhood has looked like in Sparkhill across time and what we can learn from that today.
‘Sparkhill: A Child’s Eye View’ has emerged from the Child Friendly Neighbourhood project. By working with the children who attend our Playschemes and Art Club we are seeking to engage local children and families in the historic experiences of childhood in Sparkhill. The project will focus on three key themes within Sparkhill’s heritage:
We’ll explore Sparkhill’s heritage through three themes:
- Community Spaces: schools, leisure and community buildings including Sparkhill Pool and Library
- Shopping and everyday life: Stratford Road, family shopping, clothes, groceries, pocket money
- Green Spaces: Sparkhill Park, the River Cole, and other local outdoor places
Children’s curiosity leads the way, supported through workshops, local history walks, museum/heritage visits and creative projects with artists.
As part of the programme, children took their learning further by working alongside three local artists to co-create three original art installations inspired by Sparkhill’s history, places and stories. The children were involved at every stage from exploring ideas and themes, to shaping the final designs and artworks.
These installations were showcased at the launch of the Festival of Sparkhill in October 2025 and from there travelled to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery where they will be displayed until January 2026 to celebrate children’s voices and creativity at a city-wide level. The three installations will become permanent art fixtures in and around Sparkhill, leaving a lasting legacy created by and for local children and the wider community.
The Heritage programme has helped children see themselves as artists, historians and contributors to their neighbourhood, while strengthening pride, confidence and a sense of belonging.
