child imagination
in every place,
everywhere.
this is ...
Interactive creative
experiences of the
real world around you.
CHILD NATION FORMATs
Interaction
Real places required in off-screen activity
Imagination
Kids' own ideas used in a personalised experience
Agency
Adults let kids lead and learn the value of play
CHILD NATON is an innovative digital platform developed by artist Jessica Wilson, for children aged 7 to 11 years. Its interactive stories use children’s own ideas whilst guiding them through personalised and immersive experiences of the real world around them.
Each adventure in the large and growing collection, helps children tap into their imaginative capabilities, celebrating their quirky creative ideas, and giving them permission to be themselves.
Conversational text prompts physical exploration and, as they wander, they enter answers to simple questions which are used to personalised a story-like experience. The adventures each incorporate different art forms and result in diverse and unexpected outcomes. Children enter an uninhibited imaginative zone to see their places and themselves differently from the conventional perspectives of the adults around them.
The Child Nation world is entered using an internet enabled device, via QR on alluring signage in parks and libraries, or via a special collection in schools.
Curate from a diverse collection of artist created adventures
Think of something you fear, then be guided to give it form as a monster. Find your Fear Monster's home or habitat, hide it, choose a conversation topic and tell your monster what to do when others walk past.
FOR ALL SPACES: PARKS, LIBRARIES & SCHOOLS
Explore different rooms and be helped to listen quietly before inventing the name, secret life and personality of one room. Then capture it’s breath and story in a jar and take it into a different room. Leave your jar somewhere to enable a conversation after you have gone.
FOR INDOOR SPACES ONLY: LIBRARIES & SCHOOLS
By guest artist, Yumi Umiumare
Feel the world around you alive with animistic figures inspired by Japanese culture. Identify a face in a wall, intuit a Yokai tugging at your sleeve then make a small shrine to remember.
FOR ALL SPACES: PARKS, LIBRARIES & SCHOOLS
Notice things that are massive and things that are tiny as you tune-in to an outdoor space. Then imagine you can camouflage and from your hiding place, listen to imaginary voices of non-human things, invent relationships between them and write messages to help them communicate.
FOR OUTDOOR SPACES ONLY: PARKS & SCHOOLS
Explore what kind of personality you have and how other people see you, with simple word choices. Then generate an opposite type of person and role play behaviour that is unusual or usually not permitted. Warning: this journey sometimes prompts kids to (pretend) to do things that might appear 'naughty'!
FOR ALL SPACES: PARKS, LIBRARIES & SCHOOLS
Imagine what type of landscape might have been here before this building was here, then imagine a secret creature, family or society that still lives here, invent ceremonies for them and leave a note as an offering.
FOR ALL SPACES: PARKS, LIBRARIES & SCHOOLS
Choose a piece of architecture such as a pole or wall and with simple steps, discover you can develop a story as well as a character who knows its secrets. Have lines of text generated with your own ideas and use them for a super short performance. Make a ticket and rip it off as you greet your tiny audience of one.
FOR ALL SPACES: PARKS, LIBRARIES & SCHOOLS
WHAT KIDS SAY
“it’s like being inside your own story as you make it up.”
“It's like a conversation in your own head.”
“It made me feel like I was on a trip somewhere.”
WHAT ADULTS SAY
"Jessica Wilson is always pushing art form boundaries, and seeks new ways for children to engage creatively with their parents, peers and places around them. I trust her methodology and practice completely.
The concept of CHILD NATION has great potential to broaden audiences. It provides an exciting and adventurous way to experience the performing arts outside of a traditional theatrical building."
Mary Harvey, Arts Centre Melbourne
"This is so good. I really found it transported me and was so engaged, even as an adult. Wonderful!"
Parent, Artground Singapore.
"It taps into a different part of their brain to explore different modes of thinking that they haven’t had opportunities to develop within the class.
I saw some children become so enthusiastic for the first time. As a teacher it actually made me reflect on how I can access children that are usually difficult to engage"
Tamara Moravski,
Year 3&4 leader & teacher
St Bernadettes Primary School
"I played one of the games today and it was transformative. Literally brought a tear to my eye. Cannot speak highly enough of Jessica’s creations!"
DirectorMelbourne Knowledge Week
“She liked the idea of her room having an identity. I tried to tell her about 'choose your own' adventure books that I read at her age and her eyes started glazing over...definitely your project was more engaging (lol).”
Parent feedback
"…some of those things really cracked us up! I was so impressed that you were able to offer something meaningful, authentic and fun for the kids! Well done and thanks a million."
Lakisha Welch, M.Ed
Millersville, USA
"She loved the independence of it - that she could go off on her own and sit in the garden and just do it all by herself. She is on the Autism Spectrum, so I guess it worked to help her go into this dreamy state but also remain focused on something."
Parent of ASD participant
"Child Nation offers radical new ways of presenting arts experiences to children, and utilising our spaces."
Helen Withycombe, Creative Programs Manager, State Library Victoria
Who is engaging with Child Nation
