I feel deeply grateful to have arrived in this city and to have been part of the Children’s Parade. I confess that I have travelled in different parts of the world, and even in my own country, freedom of expression for children is a fundamental pillar of society. But how often are the issues that concern children really taken into account from their own point of view?
Read more: Free Events At Brighton Festival
I had the honour of taking part with one of the 58 schools and it was a real pleasure to witness the active work of those who proudly and confidently walked the streets of Brighton to support this great mission. Mums, dads, grandparents, carers, teachers and countless motivated people made this a powerful and authentic event.
The themes that emerged were a cry of ‘stop the wars’, self-care with an inspiring ‘I believe in myself’, the urgency of ‘let’s take care of the sea’, respect for honouring Mother Earth, a firm ‘Stop pollution’ and a warm ‘welcome’ in different languages, among other vital messages.
The diversity of human groups celebrating life and bringing beauty to such latent social injustices makes one believe that peace, love and dignity are indeed possible.
Artistic expressions truly unite, and playing at being children liberates us by teaching us about honesty through action. That’s why you can see the tiredness in their faces. But the feeling of belonging and being a part of such a place is worth it.
How wonderful it would be if it didn’t just happen once a year!
The event crosses significant institutional boundaries, and within these 58 schools I would like to highlight the presence of homeschooling families. Primary, secondary, private and public schools, all united for the same reason: to promote spaces where children’s opinions do not respond to the needs of adults, but to their right to live a free childhood.
A message for the children:
“Thank you all for expressing yourselves with the love and respect you always deserve to receive.”
List of Participating Schools and Their Themes:
1 UNIFIED RHYTHM N/A band
2 HERALD: Cottesmore St Mary Catholic Primary School CHERISH in your Hearts – a sea of red and white
3 Bilingual Primary School Biodiversity – Lost Habitat
4 St Andrew’s C. E. Primary School Cherishing the Arts
5 Aldrington CE Primary School People – cherished characteristics /family
6 Hove Park School Cherish the seascape of Brighton
7 Peter Gladwin Primary School A murmuration of Starlings
8 Hill Park School Butterflies
9 Brunswick Primary Celebration of togetherness
10 Cardinal Newman Catholic School N/A band
11 St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Cherish our school
12 Blatchington Mill School Cherish our environment
13 Brackenbury Primary School Rock Star!
14 Mile Oak Primary School Different Leaves on the same Beautiful Tree.
15 Brighton Girls Cherish our Bees and Flowers
16 Hove Learning Federation Our love for the community
17 Eastbrook Primary Academy. Cherished Possessions – objects of love and comfort
18 Benfield Primary / Hangleton Primary Sport:The 2025 women’s rugby world cup
19 Goldstone Primary School British hedgerows
20 Create Music Brass Ensemble N/A band
21 Swiss Gardens Primary School Cherish our ocean
22 West Blatchington Primary & Nursery Cherished Memories
23 St Martins CE Primary & Nursery School HERALD Austins Amazing CHUCK Machine, Turns Grey skies Blue
24 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School Bedtime worries, Monster under the bed
25 City Academy Whitehawk Chucksky The Lizard – Shed Your Worries
26 Brighton College Prep School Beach clean – hermit crabs
27 Elm Grove Primary School Fat Cat
28 Carlton Hill Primary School Wall-e – overconsumption, there is no “away”
29 St Luke’s Primary School The day the crayons Quit!
30 Coombe Road Primary School Coombe kids campaigning to keep our oceans clean and save our sea creatures.
31 Rudyard Kipling Primary School and Nursery I’m running to breathe – get rid of pollution money, buildings etc
32 Meridian Community Primary & Nursery School Save our Rivers
33 Queen’s Park Primary School Swans – rubbish in the pond
34 Woodingdean Primary School Car pollution
35 St Mark’s C of E Primary School St Mark’s Against Sewage
36 St Margarets CE Primary School Negative mindset (thought machine)
37 Steel Tribe Steel Band N/A band
38 Saltdean Primary School Destruction of the sea
39 Stanford Infant School HERALD A Performance of CHANGE–Fire to Ashes to flame as the Phoenix rises
40 Coldean Primary School I wish I could fly
41 Christ’s Hospital School Band N/A band
42 Carden Primary School Extreme re-wilding: ‘Bring back Dinosaurs!’
43 BACA ‘Every small voice can change the world’
44 Balfour Primary School Be Kind
45 Brighton & Hove Home Educators Lucky Charms: Changing bad luck to good luck
46 Patcham Infant School & Nursery Class Deforestation
47 Stanford Junior school Environment re wilding. Overgrown/decay to beauty – flowers, plants, wildlife
48 Dorothy Stringer Homelessness . Anti-capitalism
49 Downs Infant School Water pollution– fish survival against plastic pollution, Space travel – new horizons beyond earth Changing Attitudes, Arthur’s Dreamboat by Polly Dunbar Concrete jungle ‘Inside Out’ – Changing Emotion
50 Fairlight Primary & Nursery School 51 Batucada Carnival Club Heathfield Community College
52 Hertford Primary School
53 Middle Street Primary School
54 St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School
55 St Mary Magdalen’s Catholic Primary School & Nursery Hope’s Journey: Parading for Peace
56 Westdene Primary School Spring awakening
57 Windlesham School & Nursery Changing Mindset- The Power of Yet!
58 Varndean School N/A band.
Thank you to all involved for this gift that has taken to the streets of Brighton.
This vibrant and important event marks the start of the much anticipated Brighton Festival.
