Exhibition Opening: Young Voices, Big Visions
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
- In-Person event
- MacOdrum Library, Carleton University
- 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6
Come celebrate the work of young South African curators at this in-person exhibition opening!
Young Voices, Big Visions: Exhibition Opening & Conversation
Join us at Carleton University’s MacOdrum Library for the Ottawa opening of Young Voices, Big Visions, an exhibition created by young members of the Children’s Movement in Cape Town, South Africa.
The exhibition was developed during a week-long curatorial camp held outside of Cape Town and led by Carleton professor Monica Eileen Patterson and alumna Dr. Rebecca Friend, with assistance from PhD students Hiba Burqan, Tanha Gomes, Emily Jenkins-Moses, and ChungHui Wang.
Young Voices, Big Visions brings together artwork, stories, and reflections on the young participants’ lived experiences. First unveiled at the Cape Town Museum of Childhood, Young Voices, Big Visions recognizes children as valued storytellers, knowledge holders, and producers of culture who are already contributing to the positive change they wish to see in the world. The exhibition invites visitors to consider what happens when young people take the lead in representing their own experiences.
Event Details
Date: November 3, 2026
Location: MacOdrum Library, Carleton University
5:30 p.m. Self-guided exhibition viewing (exhibit in main entrance display case)
6:00 p.m. Opening remarks and roundtable conversation (Room 252)
To register your attendance, please visit Eventbrite.
The roundtable in Room 252 will feature conversation with members of the Thinking Through the Museum research network’s Children’s Museology Cluster, including Dr. Monica Eileen Patterson, Dr. Rebecca Friend, Hiba Burqan, Tanha Gomes, Emily Jenkins-Moses, Chung Hui Wang, who will share insights into the collaborative process behind the exhibition and reflect on the possibilities of working with young people as curators.
The conversation will be moderated by Canada 150 Research Chair in Gender and African Politics, Dr. Shireen Hassim.
Light refreshments will be served. Attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase handmade textile bags made by and in support of the Children’s Movement, a South African organization dedicated to advancing children’s participation and rights.
For questions, please contact Monica Eileen Patterson, monicapatterson@cunet.carleton.ca
With thanks to our generous sponsors:
Thinking through the Museum
SSHRC
Carleton University (School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Institute of African Studies, Program in Childhood and Youth Studies, and Institute for Comparative Studies in Literature, Art, and Culture)