Symbolic steps: Children's dreams and visions for the future
The Nordic collaboration project SPIN—Sprogvenner í Norden—officially wrapped up last week with events at the Dokk1 culture house in Aarhus. Over the past two years, the initiative gave children a unique space to express themselves, collaborate across borders, and learn from one another through language, art, and culture.
Artwork from old shoes
"Spor í Norðri—börn marka skrefin" (Steps in the North—children mark the way) was part of the Children's Culture Festival, where children filled the stairwell of the House of Collections on Hverfisgata with colorful works. Running from April 20 to 26, 2026, the exhibit featured artworks made from old shoes that the children transformed into symbolic pieces reflecting their hopes and visions for the future.
The shoes in the exhibit represented the steps the children want to take and the impact they hope to make on the world. Using creative approaches, upcycling, and digital media, the children gave visitors a glimpse into their ideas for a better society for themselves and others.
Organized around the theme "The art of understanding each other," the project focused on building cultural awareness, strengthening inclusion, and celebrating multilingualism as a valuable resource. Icelandic participants came from Háteigsskóli and Melaskóli, joining schools from Þórshöfn in the Faroe Islands and Aarhus in Denmark.
The exhibit also built on a larger joint exhibition held at Dokk1 in Aarhus in fall 2025, which featured works by around 250 students. Alongside the Reykjavík exhibit, the Reykjavík City Library in Gróf hosted an open "shoe workshop" where children could create their own shoe artworks and join the creative process.
Warm response and lasting impact
In May, the project officially concluded with two event-filled days at Dokk1 in Aarhus. Teachers and professionals involved in the initiative gathered to review outcomes and share experiences, followed by an open theme day for education, culture, and library workers.
Pride, joy, and gratitude defined the two-day gathering. Responses from students, parents, and professionals were overwhelmingly positive, underscoring the importance of creating spaces where children can express themselves and thrive. Parents were especially pleased that their children felt "seen" and were treated as genuine participants in the project.
The project's legacy lives on in teaching materials developed from participants' work, which will be available in Icelandic, Danish, and Faroese. Organizers hope these materials will see broader use and help shape school practices for years to come.
The SPIN project clearly shows how cross-border collaboration, artistic creation, and multilingualism can serve as powerful tools for building children's understanding, confidence, and sense of community. Through their own "steps," the children have left their mark not only on a gallery and a culture house, but on the future itself.
