Children's Rights Square
Since 2022, KUBO has been part of the project “Platz der Kinderrechte” (“Children's Rights Square”), initiated by the Bremen Child Protection Association (Kinderschutzbund Bremen), supporting their effort to make children's rights more visible in various neighborhoods across Bremen.
In workshops, children and young people are given the space to explore the topic of children's rights and express their thoughts through different media such as performance, graffiti, and digital formats.
The goal is to establish children's rights squares in as many Bremen districts as possible, connected through signposts. QR codes on these signs lead to the website www.platz-der-kinderrechte-bremen.de, where all workshop outcomes are showcased.
The collaboration between the Child Protection Association and Kunsthaus KUBO aims to help children understand their rights through artistic engagement and to empower them to confidently advocate for those rights.
The first Children’s Rights Square was opened in 2019 in the Bürgerpark. In 2022, a second one followed in Huchting in cooperation with KUBO, and in 2024 another was established in Gröpelingen (see below). These spaces aim not only to raise awareness among children and young people but also to address adults, sensitizing them to the concerns and wishes of younger generations. Adults hold the responsibility to implement and support the realization of children’s rights. Over 30 years ago, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. It is also anchored in the Constitution of the State of Bremen.
Gröpelingen
On the initiative of the Bremen Child Protection Association, two Children’s Rights Squares have already been created: one in the Bürgerpark, themed around the right to play and leisure, and one in Huchting, focusing on the right to protection and participation.
Theme of the Children’s Rights Square in Gröpelingen is Ecological Children’s Rights.
The term Ecological Children’s Rights has increasingly entered expert discourses. These are derived in particular from the right to a healthy environment as enshrined in the UN Convention – the “right of every child in the world to grow up in an intact environment, to lead a healthy life, and to develop positive future prospects.” Ecological children’s rights are a fundamental basis for the development of children and for a sustainable future. In times of climate change and environmental damage, it is essential to listen to children’s voices and take their demands seriously. Their rights to a safe and healthy living environment are crucial for a just society.
In September 2024, sixth-grade students from the Gesamtschule Bremen-West participated in a podcast development workshop led by Thomas Keiser. After receiving input from the Child Protection Association of Bremen, they created five podcast episodes sharing their thoughts and demands on children’s rights.
On November 20, 2024, in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Gröpelingen Children’s Rights Square was officially opened at the City Library with a presentation and a colorful interactive event. A new signpost on the grounds of Vonovia (right next to the library) was unveiled by Senator Katrin Moosdorf (Environment, Climate, and Science).
Following the official opening of the Children's Rights Square in Gröpelingen, the Child Protection Association and the studio at KUBO, together with Na'Kita in Gröpelingen, developed a window design for the City Library in spring 2025. In an engagement with the topic of children's rights by Na'Kita, drawings by over 20 children were created, which have been decorating the windows of the city library since May 27, 2025, and refer to the Children's Rights Square.
Special thanks to the participating students and teachers of the Gesamtschule Bremen-West, to Na'Kita, to Thomas Keiser and the Bremen Child Protection Association, to Vonovia, the Gröpelingen City Library, Senator Moosdorf, and the BINGO Environmental Lottery for supporting the project.
Huchting
In 2022, the Bremen Child Protection Association and Art House KUBO began to work in the district of Huchting. This marked the start of the initiative to establish Children’s Rights Squares in several neighborhoods throughout Bremen, making children's rights more visible in public spaces.
The collaboration began with an art project on the right to protection and participation, focusing on mask-making and public space interventions with children from Kirchhuchting Primary School. In a workshop held in spring 2022, the children worked together with artist Doris Weinberger to explore what they need for a good life. Their demands and wishes were made visible in the neighborhood through masks and posters in an artistic intervention (see video).
A QR code on a signpost at the Huchting Children’s Rights Square links to a documentation of the project. The square was officially opened in June 2022 on a GEWOBA green space at Heinrich-Plett-Allee. The signpost and small information panels highlight various children’s rights.
The ideas on children's rights that were developed in workshops with local children in 2022 were further explored in May 2023 by students from the Wilhelm Wagenfeld School as part of a graffiti project. Under the artistic direction of Claudia Kunze and Jasmine Shah, the students collaboratively designed a wall at the Children’s Rights Square on Heinrich-Plett-Allee in Huchting, drawing attention to children’s rights through numerous detailed elements.
Special thanks to the participating students and teachers from Kirchhuchting Primary School and Wilhelm Wagenfeld School, to the artists, the Bremen Child Protection Association, and GEWOBA for supporting the project.
Film: Lukas Klose
Photos: Lukas Klose & Kunsthaus KUBO
