Celebrating creativity, collaboration and young people’s voices at Harbour House

This October, Harbour House presents 100 Languages, an exhibition celebrating the creativity, imagination and ideas of local children and young people.

Bringing together work created through Harbour House’s community engagement programmes, the exhibition showcases projects developed by young people alongside artists Erika Cann, Llyr Davies and Sam Machell. From cyanotype reefs and clay creatures to imagined islands, murals and collaborative sculptures. The work demonstrates what can happen when young people are given the space and freedom to create together.

(Harbour House)

Inspired by educator Loris Malaguzzi’s belief that children can express themselves through ‘a hundred languages’, the exhibition celebrates the many ways young people communicate, experiment and make sense of the world - through drawing, movement, play, storytelling, making and imagination.

At the heart of 100 Languages is collaboration. Rather than simply taking part in artist-led activities, young people have helped shape the projects, bringing their own ideas, humour and perspectives to the creative process. The resulting works are playful, unexpected and often wonderfully strange - reflecting the value of giving children permission to experiment without getting things ‘right’.

Head of Engagement, Dr Beth Richards shares: “We want to see children and young people not simply as participants, but as creative collaborators. They bring their own stories, ideas and ways of seeing the world, and when we give them the space to experiment and work together, incredible things can happen. 100 Languages is a celebration of their creativity, their voices and their contribution to our community.”

Jeremy Deller, Acid Brass, 2024. (Luke Frost)

For Harbour House, creating these opportunities is an important part of its role as a community wellbeing and arts charity. Working with local schools and community organisations, its engagement programmes provide young people with opportunities to build confidence, develop friendships and encounter contemporary art in ways that feel relevant to their lives.

Featuring work by Erika Cann, Llyr Davies and Sam Machell, created in collaboration with local children and young people: Amelia, Audrey, Ava,Christina, Dylan, Ellie, Freya, Georgia, Hollie, Isaac, Izaak, Lily, Louis, Lucas, Luna, Mhairi, Olivia | Olivia, Phoebe, Ronnie, Rosie, Stanley, Teddy, Thea, Thomas and Tilly through Harbour House’s community engagement programme.

This exhibition is supported by Arts Council England.

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