Tŷ Pawb is bringing an adventure playground into its gallery for its next exhibition, PLAY-WORK.
There are four adventure playgrounds in Wales. Wrexham is home to three of them: The Gwenfro Valley, The Land and The Venture, in addition to a wealth of other community playschemes.
These playgrounds have been studied by play researchers from across the globe. Locally, the sites are an integral part of life for many families. Many of the current staff at these sites first encountered the playgrounds as children themselves.
Wrexham’s ‘radical’ playgrounds
PLAY-WORK will centre on the relationship between adults and children, and on celebratory documentation of radical playwork since the 1970s at Wrexham’s world-renowned adventure playgrounds.
The core of the exhibition will be a playscape, designed and built in a collaborative process between the artists, Ludicology, Tŷ Pawb Staff and the local authority’s Play & Youth Support Team and Wrexham’s adventure playgrounds. Within the playscape will be a new commission by Morag Colquhoun, who has created textiles specifically for interactive ‘loose parts’.
Functional push-cart artworks designed by Gareth Griffith also feature. The carts have fabricated by children and staff from wrexham playwork projects. Additionally, ‘The Voice of Children’, a film by Turner Prize winning collective Assemble, will be exhibited in the gallery.
Come and play!
Visitors are encouraged to play and interact with the exhibition, where Playworkers will be on hand to supervise. Facilitated ‘Play Sessions’ will take place at designated points during the exhibition, akin to those that occur at Wrexham’s playwork projects.
There will be an opportunity for local businesses to get involved through sponsorship of the exhibition and associated Play Sessions – details to follow in the coming weeks.
Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety, said: “We can all relate to the need to play. The wonderful work that takes place in Wrexham to provide our children with play provision brings immense pride to the region. This exhibition will celebrate those schemes along with the marvellous work of Assemble, Morag, Gareth and Ludicology.”
Mike Barclay of Ludicology says: “Wrexham has a long and rich history of playwork, which we count ourselves lucky to have been involved with. These projects provide unique places to play, where the relationships between children and staff are different to those found elsewhere.
“We know how important play is to children, how much they value this type of provision and the difference playwork can make in the lives of families and local communities. We’re therefore proud to be working with the wonderful people at Tŷ Pawb to celebrate and explore the playwork way of supporting children.”
- PLAY-WORK will be on display at Tŷ Pawb from August 10 – October 27.
- There will be a special public opening event at 12pm on Saturday August 10.
