Forest of Imagination, the Bath-based arts and community engagement project that champions creativity, nature and the voices of children and young people, has been awarded the Inspire Future Generations Award for Strategic Vision by the Thornton Education Trust.
The award recognised Forest of Imagination’s 2025 project, ‘Imagining the Future of the Forgotten Land’, as a strategic vision placing children and young people, particularly those from marginalised and underserved communities, at the heart of decision-making about the environments where they live, learn and play.
The judges commended the project’s long-term, values-driven approach to embedding youth voice within cultural, educational, and built-environment practice, with the potential to influence policy and institutional priorities.
Forest of Imagination works inclusively with families, schools, artists, designers, educators and community partners to create accessible, nature-inspired experiences that invite imagination, play and environmental awareness. Its work is rooted in the belief that access to green landscapes, creativity and cultural participation should be a right for all, and that children and young people can be empowered as co-creators of more equitable, sustainable and greener futures.
In 2025, Forest of Imagination co-designed the pop-up event, ‘Imagining the Future of the Forgotten Land’ over ten days as a proof of concept for a permanent art and nature park at Entry Hill, Bath, in close partnership with Bath & North East Somerset Council.
This event demonstrated the impact that collaboration between the creative sector and local government can have when climate, nature, community, wellbeing and inclusion are clear and shared priorities.
This partnership helped ensure that the programme reached a broad and diverse public, including families and young people who may not otherwise have access to arts, cultural or environmental initiatives.
Forest of Imagination hopes the award will strengthen future collaborations with the Council and other local community partners, supporting a shared commitment to amplifying marginalised and young voices, protecting and re-imagining access to green landscapes. Addressing the climate and ecological emergency through creative engagement builds confidence, agency and belonging across the whole community.
Councillor Sarah Warren, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Bath and North East Somerset, said: “Congratulations to the Forest of Imagination team and everyone involved in the 2025 project. We were delighted to support the event as a project partner. I’d also like to thank the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their funding, which was an element of the support we provided.
“The event was a fantastic example of our place shaping approach, demonstrating how council-owned spaces in our city can be reimagined for people and nature by engaging with local communities and key stakeholders – in this case, children and young people. It also helped to address issues including inequalities in access to greenspace and one of the council’s key priorities, the ecological and climate emergencies.”
The Inspire Future Generations Awards celebrate exceptional initiatives in the built environment sector that centre on children’s and young people’s voices. Active since 2021, the programme is a call to action to educate, empower and collaborate with younger generations so that cities, neighbourhoods and public spaces reflect their needs, ideas and aspirations. Award-winning projects demonstrate meaningful social purpose, leadership and innovation, and are shared internationally through the Thornton Education Trust’s Resource Bank and Empowering Environment Report.
Reflecting on the award, co-founder of Forest of Imagination, Dr Penny Hay, Professor of Imagination, Bath Spa University, said:
“This recognition affirms our belief in imagination as a powerful force for change and transformation. When children and young people, especially those whose voices are too often unheard, are invited to imagine alongside artists, designers and civic leaders, we create environments that are more inclusive, more resilient and more connected to nature. We are proud to work with our local Council and creative partners, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration for the benefit of the entire community.”
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, added, “Congratulations to the Forest of Imagination team on this well-deserved award. Their work shows the impact of putting children and young people at the heart of decisions about where they live, learn, and play. Projects like this bring nature within reach of more families, including those who too often face barriers to accessing arts, culture, and green spaces – something our new Child Poverty Action Plan is committed to addressing.
“This project also reflects the insights shared through the UK’s first Citizens’ Assembly for Culture, held here in the West, demonstrating how communities can co-create inclusive and sustainable places. Initiatives that combine creativity, environmental awareness, and social inclusion will help our region’s progress towards a greener future that benefits everyone.”
