Children's rights as cultural citizens: Examining young children's access to art museums and galleries in Aotearoa New Zealand

Children, like adults, have the right to enjoy cultural citizenship by having access to a range of opportunities for leisure, education, arts, and cultural experiences. This is supported by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which argues that children need to be able to participate in the cultural and artistic life of their communities. This article examines issues of access that impact on museum visiting and explores whether children who attend early childhood centres in New Zealand have easy and equitable access to art museums and galleries. Real and potential barriers that exist for these young art museum visitors are identified.