WoW Rotherham: Building Safe Spaces with Young Women
Rotherham, UK – 2025

In collaboration with the Women of the World Festival (WOW) and Rotherham Children’s Capital of Culture, U-Build and Studio Bark facilitated a series of co-design and build workshops with girls aged 13–15 from local schools. The aim: to empower participants through hands-on making, and to create temporary safe spaces for public conversation, reflection, and celebration in the town centre.

Over a short but dynamic programme, participants rapidly gained skills in tool use, construction, communication, and teamwork. Working first in smaller groups and then coming together for a collective build, they explored what makes a space feel safe, engaging, and inclusive—particularly for conversations around gender equity and the future of their communities.

The final installations, built by the young participants using the U-Build modular system, became platforms for interaction: inviting the public to write messages, read feminist fiction, stand up and speak, or simply take a quiet moment to reflect.

This project powerfully demonstrated how architecture and making can foster agency, confidence, and collaboration—especially when tools are placed directly in the hands of young people. A joyful, purposeful, and impactful contribution to the WOW Festival.

Partners: Women of the World (WoW), Rotherham Children’s Capital of Culture, Studio Bark, U-Build