Children’s Parliament: Using Film to Elevate Children’s Voices in the AI Conversation

How a rights-based approach to storytelling helped showcase one of Scotland’s most important conversations about children and artificial intelligence.

The Challenge

When the Children's Parliament set out to explore the relationship between children’s rights and artificial intelligence, they knew the story had to be told by the children themselves.

The project:  

Exploring Children’s Rights and AI brought together 98 children aged 8-12 from four Scottish schools to reflect on their ideas, experiences, and demands for a future shaped by AI.

But how do you tell a story like this in a way that’s authentic, creative and respectful of children’s rights?

That’s where we came in.

Why They Chose JHPVisuals

We spoke with Gregory Metcalfe, project lead at Children’s Parliament, about what made them choose JHPVisuals.

“We spoke to three companies, and JHP felt like the best fit. They were engaged, curious and responded well to our direction, particularly how we work. It’s really important to us that partners engage well with rights-based practice with children.”

The team had previously created the first video for the project in-house but were looking for support that could match their values and elevate the output.

“We had video skills in the team, but we struggled with capacity. We just couldn’t dedicate the time needed to create something that felt really polished.”

Our Approach

We knew this wasn’t just about delivering a film. It was about making space for young people to lead the narrative and to speak on their own terms.

Pre-Production:

We worked closely with Children’s Parliament to develop a storyboard that reflected the project’s ethos and ensured the whole team could stay connected throughout the process.

Production:

We travelled to four locations, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Shetland and Stirling with an approach that prioritised comfort, trust and creativity. Rather than formal interviews, we captured the children mid-action and mid-conversation.

“The whole team at JHP were friendly, professional, adaptable and just easy to work with. They made it a very collaborative and relaxed experience.”

Post-Production:

Using a mix of narrative editing, child created artwork and unscripted audio, we created two final pieces,  including a sub-10-minute mini doc that brought the children's voices into the centre of the conversation.

The Outcome

The content has been viewed nearly 1,100 times and has quickly become a key reference point in conversations around the project.

“The videos are frequently referenced when we discuss the project externally, we’ve had feedback that they bring the work to life.”

One of the films was screened alongside an interactive session led by the children at the Scottish AI Summit 2024 for a delegation of key decision-makers, providing a national platform for young people’s ideas to be seen and heard.

“It has helped us demonstrate the value of our approach by making the process and the children’s enjoyment of it more visible.”

The videos are now embedded on the Children’s Parliament website and have been shared across social media, becoming part of the organisation’s wider communications and advocacy work.

Why It Worked

At JHPVisuals, we believe in more than just making things look good. We believe in getting the story right. That means listening and building trust, putting people first, especially when those people are young, vulnerable or underrepresented.

This project is a perfect example of how visual storytelling, when done well, can do more than just document. It can shape understanding, shift culture and help people feel seen.

In Gregory’s Words

“The team at JHP were truly fantastic to work with. We're really delighted with the final film. It really captures the work we do with a wonderful sense of energy and fun. As a charity working with children and striving to demonstrate the importance of children's human rights, it was really important for us that we worked with an organisation who understood and supported these values. Jimmy, Shea & Bob went above and beyond in their approach to this, working really flexibly and bringing a genuine commitment to learning and adapting their approach to the needs of the project. They were also all incredibly responsive, considerate and friendly in their work - something which made a big difference not only to our team, but also to the children we work with. Thank you so much!”

Interested in creating meaningful visual content that puts people at the centre?

Contact us