Adventure Playgrounds - made by children for children
Today has been a really interesting mix of conversations. It started out fairly simply with a quick run into GoMA to check that ATELIER PUBLIC was all OK for opening. It had been a busy weekend and there was loads of new work to document yesterday. A big selection of Gallery Assistant photos went on to Flickr and I need to sift through mine. That done it was off to Edinburgh to meet at the lovely new Creative Scotland Offices to talk about the General Comment on article 31.
2 hours goes quickly and it felt like we just began the conversation about what a General Comment on article 31 would mean. It will be wider than play and include arts , culture and leisure but not ‘career sport’. It will mean a definition of children aged 1 -18 rather than a perception of it only being children under 8 who play. It will provide an opportunity to explore what we offer for children and young people from a rights agenda and what that might mean. There is a another meeting in the new year when work on the General Comment will have begun and we will also know a little more about what is included in the Rights of Children and Young People’s Bill which has just closed its consultation stage.
After this meeting I had a quick squint around the revamped Scottish National Portrait Gallery before returning to GoMA to fine Johnny Gailey working on his proposal in ATELIER PUBLIC.
#catandmouse
Once GoMA closed for the night Johnny and I caught up a little and he spoke about Splashback #saveleithwaterworld. This is a local campaign by people who are opposed to the closure of a local community facility and their waterbased playable space. They are currently gathering signatures and exploring ways to convince the Council and Edinburgh Leisure that the money required to invest in the pool to keep it open each year is an investment in the health and well-being, confidence and future of their community, which is worth paying. More on their blog if you are interested.
The day ended in complete contrast to the Splashback campaign with a presentation at Hampden for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. It’s the start of updates and consultation events so there were a few slick videos and presentations coupled with a Q&A, which inevitably quickly became about parking and toilets….. But there was also an opportunity to explore and discuss a little about the Cultural programme alongside the Games and the playable spaces that will create. It is still very early days yet but what they did stress was community involvement, civic pride and legacy…..watch this space only 1000 days to go.
ps: a couple of photos from ATELIER PUBLIC as well
The shelves are filling up again
This little piece is sitting through in the back room
playablespaces 