2,000 young people, one mission: Rethinking access to architecture at the Festival of the Future
By Mary Richardson2025-03-21T05:00:00
Mary Richardson reflects on how last weekend’s Festival of the Future brought over 2,000 young people to RIBA’s 66 Portland Place, aiming to break down barriers to built environment careers
Last weekend, RIBA’s 66 Portland Place was filled with something we don’t see often enough in architectural institutions: young people. Over 2,000 of them, to be precise. The Festival of the Future 2025, organised by Beyond the Box in partnership with RIBA, brought together energy, ideas, and a determination to break down barriers to the built environment professions.
The event was the brainchild of Neil Onions, founding director of youth-engagement specialists Beyond the Box, who worked with RIBA education manager Sophie Draper and a wide range of partner organisations to make it a reality. The goal was simple: to inspire and excite young people from all backgrounds about careers in architecture and the built environment, while opening their eyes to alternative routes in.
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