CHILD RIGHTS ON SHOW © Stefan Postles, of Chalk Studio
Adele, 12, is a Year 6 pupil of Telopea Park School, in Canberra. With her school, Adele visited the Museum of Australian Democracy, housed in Old Parliament House, Canberra, and learned about children’s rights as part of a project on Australian civics and citizenship. Adele was so inspired by what she learned, she was motivated to educate others about Article 31, the right to play, and spoke at an official reception to launch the museum’s 2014 exhibition on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. “Even though sometimes our parents and teachers tell us to stop playing they should remember play develops important skills - things like co-operating and getting on with each other. Thinking creatively and using your imagination can be some of the best forms of play,” Adele said.
Adele, Year 6, Telopea Park School, at the launch of Play Up, at the Museum of Democracy, Canberra
Children took over the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra, thanks to an inspired exhibition exploring children’s rights and turning the traditional idea of what goes on in a museum on its head. Play Up, with content and resources from UNICEF Australia, explored the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - particularly Article 31, a child’s right to play and rest - and placed children’s voices at the heart of the interactive museum experience.
© Museum of Australian Democracy
UNICEF Australia | 7
OUR WORK IN AUSTRALIA
MEET ADELE
“I want you to imagine a world without play. What would it be like? Forget about all those soccer games at lunch time. No more skipping ropes, no more running races. No more play. What if it did happen to you?”