Home Page | About the Free Play Network | Join the Free Play Network | Links

Free Play Network homepage

*

PLACES for PLAY: Photo Exhibition

*

Policy

*

Playwork Practice

*

Designing for Play

*

Play at School

*

Risk and Safety

*

Play Publications

Designs on Play

PLAYLINK/Portsmouth City Council

Play Conference 2002, 1 October

Why are so many children's playgrounds unimaginative and indistinguishable? Why do so few reflect the spirit of their locality or children's desire for excitement and mystery? What could be the role of artists and designers in creating individual environments children will be drawn to for their play?

Designs on Play initiated an exchange of working ideas between designers and planners and those with responsibility for, or interest in, play services and playgrounds.

The main focus of the day was on case studies presenting successful examples of creative design for supervised and unsupervised playgrounds and for play in public spaces.

The conference was chaired by Ken Worpole, one of Britain's most influential writers on urban and social policy. Worpole is a member of the Government's Urban Green Spaces Task Force and has a background in adventure playgrounds.

Keynote speakers included Kim Wilkie, landscape architect, urban designer and environmental planner and Robin Sutcliffe, chair of the Play Safety Forum.

Portsmouth Leisure Services "facilitating debate in partnership with PLAYLINK".

Resources

Useful Links

Boy in Tree

Free Play Network, 129 Lancaster Road, New Barnet, Hertfordshire, EN4 8AJ. Tel 07790 981 175.