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xThe Art of Listening to Babies: a creative consultation
Date: 28th September 2026
Category:
General measures of implementation, General principles
New creative consultation by Starcatchers explores how adults can meaningfully listen to babies and recognise their views, even before they can speak.
The Art of Listening to Babies project involved babies under two across 26 Glasgow City Council Early Learning and Childcare settings in 2025. Using Starcatchers’ Voice of the Baby approach, artists, researchers and early years practitioners explored how creative activities can help adults understand babies’ communication and include their views in everyday nursery life.
The consultation shows that babies actively take part in their surroundings and can express preferences, influence relationships and shape their experiences. Babies communicate in many ways, including through movement, facial expressions, sounds, eye contact, gestures, rhythm and even silence. The project supports children’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly Article 12, the right to be heard, Article 13, the right to express themselves, and Article 31, the right to participate in arts and cultural life.