Our goal is to advance children’s rights to engage with and participate in arts and cultural experiences from birth and, through this, amplify young children’s agency and voice. Our youngest children are often those who are the least heard and the least able to access their rights. Babies and very young children realise their rights through lived experience. The arts offers opportunities for self expression, and communication helps young children realise their rights long before they can understand the language that describes them.
Starcatchers has a strategic role in advocating for the rights of babies, toddlers and young children to arts and cultural provision as set out in Article 31 of the UNCRC. Working collaboratively and extensively with partners in the third sector, education and health, we will work to ensure that access to arts and culture from birth, and throughout a child’s earliest years, is a national priority.
Starcatchers, Children In Scotland and Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights), delivered The Right Start in March 2025, a landmark conference exploring Babies' Rights. Here we share speakers' presentations, resources and links to best practice gathered from the day.
Starcatchers, in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, are collaborating on a research project exploring current and emerging rights-based approaches in the arts for children from birth to 3 years in Scotland.
As part of the WeAll Scotland Love Letham project, Starcatchers and Early Years Scotland are working with babies and young children, their parents and carers, EY professionals and local stakeholders in Letham to develop a plan to make Letham the best place for children to grow up
Rhona Matheson, Starcatchers’ Chief Executive, and guests talk about a range of topics from baby theatre and children’s rights to being an advocate and why the arts.
Starcatchers’ new international project, funded by Erasmus+ and in partnership with a network of early years creative organisations from France, Catalonia and the Netherlands, exploring and share best practice in early years arts and creativity across local European communities.
Today Museum Play is a creative project with families in the East End of Glasgow using play to explore what's important to children aged 3-8 years, as we look to a post-Covid future.
In 2019, Starcatchers’ campaign Making My Mark celebrated the role that arts and creative experiences can play in helping children learn about their rights during their earliest years.
The Baby Book Project is a project led by artist Rebecca Fraser, providing monthly creative play sessions for families in Parkhead, Glasgow inspired by the UNCRC which will contribute to a creative journal about their babies first year.
As part of Let's Be Heard, the participation programme of the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry, Starcatchers and artists Heather Fulton and Rebecca Fraser are delivering creative consultation sessions with families in Moray and Glasgow.
