About

Shape My City is a youth participation project for 15 - 19 year olds from across Bristol delivered by the Architecture Centre.

Shape My City aims to help young people understand how places work and how they can be improved. It is an opportunity for young people to get involved with industry professionals, city developments, and to gain new knowledge, skills and confidence. Shape My City is targeted at girls and young people from B&ME backgrounds and aims to empower young people to play a more active role in shaping the future of their city.

Participation in the project gives young people an opportunity to:
  • work with and learn from built environment and design professionals and students
  • acheive Arts Award accreditation 
  • gain valuable experience to enhance college/university applications
  • connect with other young people across the city to develop a manifesto 
  • share their creativity and ideas with a wider audience 

The project aims to:
  • develop knowledge and skills about design, public art, landscaping, sustainability, planning and citizenship in young people
  •  develop understanding and appreciation of the art form of architecture and the impact it has on young people’s lives
  •  enable involvement in ‘real-life’ design decisions/processes – the questions to ask, and understanding the answers
  •  empower young people – through involvement in decision making about the spaces that affect them in their city
  •  embed a cultural change among built environment and local government professionals, to value the role of the young people as experts
Shape My City is being piloted in 2014 with 14 young people, with the aim of developing it into an innovative annual programme. If you are interested in colloaborating on the development of the programme please get in touch.

Volunteer professionals and students required as workshop mentors
The Architecture Centre is looking for addtional volunteer built environment professionals and university students to support the project workshops which take place on monthly basis on Thursday evenings. If you are interested in getting involved please get in touch.

‘Shape My City has been a brilliant experience for me. Not only has it helped me to learn more about the industry, but it’s helped me discover more about the way I want to work, and the direction I'd like to pursue. Every single one of the sessions left me inspired and excited, and I would go away buzzing. I only hope that others will be able to share this experience in the future’. Shape My City participant 
 
Shape My City is generously supported by the Ove Arup Foundation.

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