A team of local children is stepping into the director’s chairs at Birrarung Marr this July to show Melbourne exactly what happens when young people run the show.
Running from Thursday 2 July to Sunday 5 July 2026, City of Melbourne’s ArtPlay will host the world premiere season of The Wall. The interactive arts experience has been completely designed, hosted, and shaped by the By Kids For Kids (BKFK) Ensemble: a dynamic collective of local 10 to 12-year-olds working alongside professional creative facilitators from House of Muchness.
The Wall flips conventional, adult-centric theatre programming on its head. Instead of adults making choices for children, this production embeds young citizens into the heart of creative decision-making.
The storyline follows a curious, upside-down world where a wall separates two groups of children who have spent a lifetime whispering secrets and instructions through the cracks, until a wild event tears one side away, forcing the audience to step in and help put things back together using kindness, imagination, and their own making hands.
The vision for the project stems directly from a deep trust in the creative intelligence of young people. As Alex Walker, founder of House of Muchness and lead artistic facilitator, notes:
“Children are sophisticated thinkers. They are constantly navigating complex social landscapes, and when we afford them true creative authority, they don’t just make things that are fun- they make art that is deeply relevant, urgent, and revealing,” said Walker.
Walker emphasises that shifting the dynamic from tokenistic consultation to shared authorship changes how children view their place in the city. “It is about handing over the steering wheel. When children realise their ideas can structurally shape a public performance, they stop being mere consumers of culture and start seeing themselves as active citizens whose voices carry real weight.”
The production highlights a broader shift happening across the City of Melbourne’s cultural services, championed by frameworks like the New Ideas Lab. Supported by robust ethical engagement frameworks, the initiative ensures child agency, safety, and direct collaboration are built natively into the project’s DNA.
Audiences are invited to bring their making hands and step into a world where the kids are firmly in charge.
The Wall
ArtPlay – Birrarung Marr (Russell Street Extension), Melbourne
Dates: 2 – 5 July 2026
Information and Bookings: www.melbourne.vic.gov.au
Image: The Wall – photo by Darren Gill