PlaySpaces

Developed in partnership with Cork Midsummer Festival and responding to Cork Child Friendly City consultancy, this creative participatory project reimagines children’s place in urban spaces. Public spaces and buildings are designed primarily for adults – this project invites children to become co-creators of their urban environment, designing play spaces that are welcoming, inspiring and, most importantly, genuinely theirs.

In summer 2026, Cork’s young citizens will explore a trail of child-designed pods, nests and hideaways across the city. The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion hosts a behind-the-scenes exhibition documenting the multi-year collaborative design process, featuring drawings, working models, photographs and collages created in workshops. The exhibition will incorporate its very own PlaySpace, inviting visiting children and their families to play, imagine and explore.

Location:   Lord Mayors Pavilion

Time:         11.00 - 17.00

Format:      Exhibition & Play Space