The concept of unchilding, developed by Palestinian scholar Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, describes processes through which children are deprived of their status as children. The concept is becoming increasingly relevant in light of developments in Swedish society, despite the fact that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has been incorporated into Swedish law since 2020.

Since September 2026, children as young as 14 can be sentenced to prison in Sweden. These children come from different backgrounds and circumstances, including some who have themselves been victims of crime. Deprived of their freedom, far from the green seating installation, they must try to fall asleep alone in their cells.

But unchilding does not begin at the prison walls. It takes shape through political decisions that determine which children are allowed to move freely, which are placed under surveillance, and which are locked away. It also takes physical form in our shared living environments – spaces that architects and other professionals involved in shaping the built environment help create.

What other paths are possible?

Through resistance, exploration, and glimpses of a different future, the program raises questions about the role of architecture, children's rights, and the possibility of shaping a society that does not imprison children.

PROGRAM

Preliminary program – subject to change.

DAY 1 – Tuesday 24 November

Building and Opening

10:00–16:00 | Construction Play and Workshop
A workshop where children and young people build chairs and stools that will become part of the installation The Empty Classroom.

17:00 | Exhibition Opening
Doors open to the public.

18:00–20:00 | In-Depth Discussion
A discussion about shrinking democratic spaces, the agency of children and young people, and the effects of new legislation.

DAY 2 – Wednesday 25 November

Collective Action and Writing

11:00–17:00 | Exhibition Open
Open to the public, participating young people, and their families.

14:00–15:30 | Writing Workshop
A creative writing exercise in which participants create additions, provocations, and messages on banners.

16:00–17:00 | Collective Reflection
Reflections on the takeover, next steps, and how public space can be activated in the future.