Voice of the Children Phase III – North Point
Hong Kong Christian Service North Point Happy Teens Club (HKCS), our local partner, has collaborated with professional artists from the Hill Workshop to launch the “Kids’ Omakase” Voice of the Children Community Participation Project from September 2022 to May 2024. Through the use of community art, the project aims to guide children in understanding themselves and exploring the community. They are encouraged to propose creative solutions to address community issues that concern them, thereby drawing the attention of community stakeholders to children’s opinions.
Stage 0 – Before Commencement
HKCS recruited child participants and adult facilitators through online platforms and mobile street booths in the community. They also organised the “Kids Day”, which included workshops on physical movements and art experiences, to help participants understand the goals and content of the project. Suitable children were selected to become “Child Community Designers”.
Stage 1 – Community Issue Identification
The “Know Yourself and the Community” day camp aimed to foster a deeper understanding and awareness of the North Point District among the Child Community Designers. It featured community visits and art experiences, which helped the children develop their observation skills and gain insights from the unique aspects of the community. It also sparked their interest in exploring community issues that have a direct impact on their lives, motivating them to propose specific topics they would like to explore further.
Stage 2 – Planning of Community Actions
The Child Community Designers were divided into three groups, each focusing on a different topic: promoting the local culture of North Point, improving resting facilities for domestic helpers, and addressing air quality issues of the district. The children worked collaboratively to develop community proposals and engage with stakeholders to tackle these concerns.
Stage 3 – Implementation of Community Actions
The Child Community Designers held a community proposal showcase to present their creative solutions to the public.
– The North Point’s Local Culture Concern Group created architectural models of historic landmarks such as Sunbeam Theatre, North Point Ferry Pier, Chun Yeung Street, and North Point Terminus, aiming to raise public awareness of the preservation of community culture.
– The Domestic Helpers’ Resting Facilities Concern Group discovered that domestic helpers often rest on breathless and hard materials like cardboard and canvas during their holidays. In response, the children learned to make cushions from second-hand clothes and invited the domestic helpers to participate in the process at the park.
– The Improving Air Quality of King’s Road Group conducted a live broadcast on Instagram vividly reporting on the air quality condition of King’s Road.
Stage 4 – Programme-end (Evaluation)
The Child Community Designers organised an exhibition to share their achievements with the public. They became tour guides and tutors, guiding visitors to explore the exhibition and participate in workshops where they made tofu pudding, dream catchers, and air puzzles. It was hoped that different stakeholders could listen to children’s voices and support their community participation.
