ART/PLAY/RISK and ASPECT STUDIOS Present:

Imagine a city where play is not confined to traditional playgrounds, but permeates every corner of the urban landscape, creating a vibrant and dynamic environment that encourages creativity, social connection, and resilience.

Typically, conventional playgrounds of today offer limited scope for exploration and growth, with children often following predictable paths, devoid of challenge, cooperation or risk-taking opportunities, so vital to their health and development.

We believe in transcending these limitations by embracing an interdisciplinary approach that brings diverse knowledges together to reimagine the urban environment, with public art and bespoke design as central players.

In Play Beyond Playgrounds, we challenged the status quo of urban play, asking the crucial questions: How can we harness the transformative power of play in public life to create better future cities, empowering individuals and communities? And what role can public art and design play in this vital transformation?  

This two-day symposium was designed to explore the need for play-beyond-playgrounds in our increasingly high-density cities.

Comprising of keynotes, panel discussions, workshops and site visits this dynamic interdisciplinary event brought together experts from public art, urban planning, landscape architecture, academia, child development, and urbanism to collaborate, converse, grapple and play. 

Led by visual arts researchers Dr. Sanné Mestrom and Nadia Odlum from ART/PLAY/RISK, in partnership with leading landscape architect firm ASPECT Studios we advocate to shape the new playable city that empowers individuals of all ages to thrive and grow.

REGISTRATION

Day One
Talks (Free)
November 30th

Join us for a dynamic, full day program of presentations, panels, and discussions.

Featured speakers include Mike Hewson, Natalia Krysiak (citiesforplay.com), Sanné Mestrom and Aspect Studios.

Located at the University of Sydney.

Detailed program and full list of speakers to be released soon.

Day Two
Workshops and Site Visits
December 1st

Participate in a series of workshops and guided site visits exploring the real-world complexities of designing for play in the urban realm.

Ticket price ($25) includes bus transfer to Aspect Studios ‘Wild Play’ (Centennial Park) and Mike Hewson’s St Peter’s Fences (St Peters), in conversation with Mike himself.

Keynote Speaker: Mike Hewson

Mike Hewson is an installation artist from Aotearoa New Zealand known for his large-scale public art interventions. His recent project ‘Rocks on Wheels’ in Southbank, Naarm (Melbourne) has gained international recognition for its innovative approach to risky play and interactive sculpture. In a keynote address and panel discussion Hewson will give insights to his creative process, engineering expertise, and in-depth experience creating ambitious playable projects for the public realm.  

Image: Rocks on Wheels, 2022, Melbourne