Creating Change - The World I want to Live in (FAQs)

We have had quite a few questions coming in during the last few weeks so we thought we would put together some FAQ’s.



Why did we focus so broadly on human rights as this is a huge topic?


We agree, it is a huge topic but we didn’t want to push students onto a particular topic, we wanted students to choose the topic that’s important to them right now in this moment. We hope that if students and teachers find the resource useful, they will return to it again and again for ideas.

 


My students are aged 11-16 years and have moderate learning difficulties, is it possible for them to enter the primary category?


We want as many young people as possible to learn about human rights and enter the competition. We had to set some criteria to get us started but we are flexible about categories. We will be led by teachers on which competition category your students enter as teachers know their student's ability best. What’s important is that everyone gets an opportunity to participate if they want to.



How many topics can students choose?


Students and educators can choose as many topics as they wish, we realise it will perhaps depend on the work they are currently doing. We kept the resource broad so anyone can join in and we have seen teachers use the resource across a wide range of subjects so far.



We don’t have much time to focus on creative arts at our school at the moment, what would you advise?


There is something for everyone in the resource pack to spark a discussion around human rights, it doesn’t matter how big or small your project, what’s important is enabling young people’s voices to be heard about the things that matter to them. This resource can be used across the curriculum as it links well with many core subjects.


We have really tight budgets at our school so buying new materials is not something we are able to do?


The idea is to have the conversation with students and see where it goes. Every school has materials that can be recycled, a smart phone to allow students to record their voices and take photos in their communities. The artists that supported us have some very simple ideas which don’t require the purchase of new materials.




You can find the artists ideas on pages 20 to 25 of the resource pack which you can find here.



Good luck 🤞🏽

Steve Sinnott • March 20, 2022

An Education Revolution

By Ann Beatty • April 6, 2025
This week while out and about in Hertfordshire and we visited the British Schools Museum. We discovered the first school opened by Joseph Lancaster, was known as the ‘Poor Childs Friend”, was in 1810. It was his lifelong mission that all children regardless of their circumstances, should benefit from an education. Apparently, Joseph heard a small girl say, “Oh that I could read!” and this inspired him to create a simple education system that eventually would benefit children across the world. Joseph was the tenth son of a poor man himself from South London. His aim was to offer free education for everyone. However, it would be 93 years before the U.K. government finally made education free for all. There are still many countries today where education is still not free to access and it is certainly not compulsory for primary and secondary age pupils. Joseph’s mission really resonates with that of the Foundation, to support access to education for all. We enjoyed our visit and appreciated the tour given by two of the Museum’s volunteers, Angela and Clare. They described some of the challenges faced in the early years of formal education and shared some of the rules that teachers and students had to abide by with us. 

Sparks Bristol

By Ann Beatty • April 4, 2025
Sparks Bristol is a collaborative community project initially envisioned by The Global Goals Centre, (GGC) more of which below. A few years ago, GGC took over an empty Marks and Spencer store and that’s how Sparks was born. Sparks is a department store with a difference, co-created by Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace. On the ground floor is a huge range of shops, installations, events and more. Upstairs is a hub for local artists, it offers affordable studios as well as rehearsal and performance space. The Global Goals Centre is a Bristol-based educational charity inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs). GGC believe the SDG’s or Global Goals as they are sometimes known, can be reached, with imaginative solutions and widespread education and engagement. They work with partners to promote creative solutions and deliver ground breaking projects that work towards these ambitious goals. The Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the Global Goals Centre with seed funding when it first started over 5 years ago. This month we went to visit them to see how they are getting on and we were taken aback by the volume of work they have achieved since they started. It is amazing to see how though working together with other local community groups it has grown into the vibrant centre it is today. All of the creative projects they host are linked to the SDGs. They cover topics that tackle poverty, education, climate change, fashion recycling and upcycling, to name a few.

Spring is Here! Looking Ahead!

By Ann Beatty • March 28, 2025
Spring is definitely here, daffodils, blossom and crocuses are all basking in the bright sunshine. There is still a chill in the air in the shade but it's happening and all the seeds that were sown over the last few months are coming to fruition. At the Foundation, we have been planning the year ahead and our Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence programmes got underway this weekend in Haiti and Ghana. These projects will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of the women and girls who take part: tackling the root causes of gender-based violence and enabling girls to attend school every day when they have their period, to feel safe at school and know how to take action when they are faced with violence. These are the first of many projects planned for the year ahead as we continue to work towards Education for All children everywhere.