Earlier in June, local residents – including a few VIPs here and there – visited Walworth Town Hall to view a free public exhbition of joyful designs created by pupils from St Peter’s Pimary School as part of the Walworth Kids Xmas Lights project.
The exhibition marked the culmination of a series of architect-led workshops delivered by Architecture for Kids CIC, which invited every child in the school – from Nursery to Year 6 – to explore themes of light, place and community while reimagining how Walworth Road could look in the future.
The pupils’ designs were displayed, with visitors encouraged to vote for their favourites. Over the exhibition weekend, families also took part in free drop-in architecture workshops delivered by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), giving local children further opportunities to explore design, creativity and the built environment.
Alongside the public vote, an all-star jury of local stalwarts, architects, creatives and academics – including BAFTA-winning actor Adeel Akhtar – selected the final 21 designs that will now be transformed into full-scale illuminated installations for Walworth Road this winter.
The lights will be unveiled in November with a community switch-on event, bringing children’s creativity to the heart of the high street and creating a new annual tradition for the neighbourhood.
We’re so proud at Fabrix to be a part of the project as a founding partner, alongside Southwark Council.
The project aligns closely with how we’ve approached the transformation of our own site just across the road from the exhbition, Walworth Corners. Working hand-in-hand with the local community to deliver meaningful impact and celebrate what makes Walworth what it is.
Walworth Kids Xmas Lights is co-led by Antonio Capelao, founder of Architecture for Kids CIC, and Madeleine Moxham, an art director and local resident, and is supported by a number of other organisations with links to Walworth, including Dorrington, General People and Palace Skates.
“Walworth Kids Xmas Lights is about handing the city back to children – inviting them to look closely at their neighbourhood, understand its history, and reimagine it through light.
By transforming their drawings into street‑scale installations, we make children’s voices visible in public space and remind ourselves that cities are also shaped by the young people who live, learn, and grow in them.”
Antonio Capelao, Founding Director, Architecture for Kids
