Explore our current projects positioning children and young people as active contributors in shaping discussions about architecture, design, the built environment, and sustainability.
Across London and Cardiff, three interconnected projects - Soho Kids Xmas Lights, Walworth Kids Xmas Lights, and Cardiff Kids Xmas Lights - invite children to shape their local area through light, creativity, and place-based learning. Founded and led by architecture educator Antonio Capelao, these initiatives place children at the centre of the built environment as designers, curators, and storytellers.
Working with primary schools, pupils take part in design workshops, site visits, and public exhibitions, developing ideas that are realised as bespoke LED street lights installed annually in their neighbourhoods. What began in Soho in 2021 has grown into a multi-city network, each project exploring identity, culture, resilience, and sustainability through the lens of everyday urban life.
The programme highlights the value of STEAM education in fostering creativity, civic engagement, and a deeper connection to place. By making children’s ideas visible in the public realm, it also champions their presence in city centres—reinforcing the importance of supporting vibrant, inclusive urban communities shaped by young voices.