Walk the Plank Wins Tender for Rotherham Children’s Capital of Culture Closing Ceremony

Outdoor arts specialist Walk the Plank has won a competitive pitch to deliver the closing ceremony for Rotherham's year as the world's first Children's Capital of Culture.

The South Yorkshire borough made history in January when young people in Rotherham proclaimed it as the inaugural Children's Capital of Culture.

Walk the Plank has now been commissioned to close the ambitious youth-led project, celebrating and reflecting on a landmark year for Rotherham in March 2026. The award-winning arts organisation, has previous experience delivering European Capital of Culture celebrations, including Bodø 2024, Turku 2011, and Liverpool 2008.

Bev Ayre, senior creative producer at Walk the Plank, explains: "Our track record of bringing stories and places to life through spectacular outdoor performances is based on ambitious creativity, which we will bring to Rotherham in bucket loads.

"We are excited to be working with Rotherham's incredibly talented young people to develop ideas for the event. We're keeping these under wraps for now, but rest assured it will include a jaw-dropping centre piece, some pyrotechnics and much more! We're here to do this brave project justice, looking ahead to the bright legacy that Children's Capital of Culture is leaving."

During its festival year, Rotherham's young people have collaborated with cultural partners to deliver a diverse programme of music and magic, dance and drama, film and food, exhibitions and events and much more. Highlights so far have included Otherham Winter Light Festival, a trail of light and sound projections inspired by young people's reimagining of Rotherham as an otherworldly place. There was also Roots, a street carnival themed around nature and the environment, UPLIFT urban sport and art festival, and community events like Ferham Festival, Whiston Gala and Aston Carnival. In November, Rotherham will host the largest community opera in the UK, in partnership with Royal Ballet and Opera, Grimm & Co and Rotherham Music.

Over 150 young people have been employed in the creative industries as part of the initiative, with alumni going on to work at Netflix, CBBC and Channel 4. Alongside this successful employment programme, Children's Capital of Culture has also worked with over 100 schools and colleges through its creative learning programme, providing local children and young people with greater access to arts, sports, creative education and careers support.

The project has brought colour and creativity to the borough's streets, parks and schools with large-scale murals, outdoor art galleries and sculptures. It's turned stately homes into playgrounds, and the RHS Flower Show into a teenage dirt park.

Leanne Buchan, Head of Creative Programming and Engagement at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, said:

"Walk the Plank's impressive credentials in delivering large-scale outdoor arts projects really stood out. Our selection panel, which included some of the young employees who have been vital to delivering our landmark festival year, liked their ideas the best in the pitch.We're excited to be working with them to deliver our collective ambitions for an epic finale event."