Description
Children’s creative work has long documented the breaking of worlds, been used in the making of worlds, and just as forcefully demanded their remaking. Whether it be paintings by Viennese children during WWI; illustrated responses to the Message of Peace and Goodwill of the children of Wales; or the intricately constructed portfolio exchanges of the Junior Red Cross; children’s creative work has long travelled the globe via exhibitions, competitions and exchanges. This paper seeks to foreground the global circulation of children’s creative work in the 20th century, reading children’s creativity as key to the construction and maintenance of particular visions of global unity, friendship and peace.Utilised by a range of international organisations, humanitarian and development agencies, as well as national or regionally based initiatives such as the India-based Shankar’s International Children’s Competition, children’s creative works have generated funds, attracted support and participation and functioned as powerful affective tools for a range of political agendas. Yet, rather than simply see children’s creative work as co-opted by a range of adult-led organisations and institutions, this paper seeks to explore the possibilities of engaging with these sources as ‘world-making’ in their own right. Engaging materially with several key examples, the paper foregrounds children’s astute observations, powerful commentaries and critiques of the ‘adult world,’ arguing in turn for a renewed recognition of children’s creative participation as a form of politics and protest.
| Period | 5 Jul 2024 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Children's History Society: Fourth Biennial Conference: Children's Worlds Through Time |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Newcastle Upon Tyne, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |