The Make Space Exhibition, scheduled to take place here at SPARK from Saturday, May 24 to Sunday, May 25, will make the case to visitors that “public space design” affects girls’ and women’s use of parks.
The exhibition is part of the wider Make Space York project, which started in 2022 in Rowntree Park and aims to better understand how parks, in the words of a spokesperson, “can become more inclusive – especially for girls, whose presence in parks declines sharply during teenage years.”
A spokesperson for the group added: “Teenage girls are being designed out of these spaces, often unintentionally. This exhibition highlights why that matters, and what can be done to change it.”
The exhibition will feature displays, research, and local stories. Art and photography will be marshalled in an effort to “raise awareness,” while interactive tables and workshops will allow visitors to create mood boards, zines, and badges, and to share personal experiences and suggestions.
The Make Space Project so far includes the installation of new equipment, and the introduction of The Make Space (for girls) Festival, which will return for its third year this June at both Rowntree Park and Homestead Park.
