Play-spaces is primarily an art project and social experiment that wants to be more.
What? In many ways 'Play' evades definition. 'Play' is not necessarily the process of engaging in games but can also be interpreted as a certain mental state. 'Play' is an activity which is not goal-directed and is 'in and of itself'. This does not mean play is meaningless, quite the opposite. In play there is something 'at play' which transcends the immediate needs of life and exists outside the framework of the 'daily' or 'ordinary'. An easier way to define play is to indicate what 'Play' is not. It is not rigid, unconscious, habitual or compulsive. 'Play' is essentially free in that you choose to take part and to leave. Although there may be rules to some 'Play' these are to encourage co-operation rather than competition. These must be created and exist within the separate reality of 'Play' and everyone must be aware of them. Although there may be winners or losers - it should not be winning or losing that matters rather purely the 'Playing' as there is no gain to be made for one side. 'Play' must always be separate from reality and involve the detachment necessarily that allows participants to be free from constraint and inhibition.
Why? The main motive behind the project is that capitalism can be corrosive to culture and creativity. The project aims to tackle this through the encouragement and promotion of 'Play' as an activity. We believe that we live in a society which creates so much pressure for 'success' that we feel constrained and inhibited to expressing ourselves in this manner, that we must follow a certain pattern in order to 'achieve' rather than engage in activity that is essentially pattern-less. Individuals live in a world where we never cease passing from one closed environment to another all with certain rules, from family to school to hospital to work etc. All with functions that order and compose our time. 'Play' is the idea of basically being 'outside time' and we believe that this relief of order temporarily is integral to maintaining positive mental health as without order, there is no pressure. We follow rules that socially and culturally condition us to believe certain behaviors and ways to act are either 'right' or just not questioned. This is potentially destructive as habit and repetition do not yield anything new and in that way the manner in which we think is not subject to change but rather stagnates. Rather than creating what is new and beneficial we are just creating more. 'Play' encourages levels of spontaneity that have the possibility of disturbing pattern and hence unlocking new methods of creation or ways of viewing things.
How?
- One of the aims of this project is to encourage people to engage in unusual or new activity which may go outside their
comfort zones. This can take the form of reverting to the childish and free nature of play that is already established (chasing, pretending, hide and seek etc) or to come with entirely new forms of play. We are holding a workshop based on this idea but have also established a group where people can organize themselves. (Please see the 'Join In' tab).
- In order to promote this idea we have juxtaposed the idea of 'Play-Space' with the idea of hegemonic space or space that represents control and order. In safe spaces, we would like to chalk 'other spaces' in which people are encouraged to 'play'. (Please see 'Play-Space Photos' tab).The idea of this 'alternative or other' space can relate back to the concept coined by the philosopher Michel Foucault of 'Heterotopian space', spaces that function in non-hegemonic conditions that are simultaneously physical and mental. However traditionally (but not always) the main purpose of a heterotopia was to exclude and make sure that society at large was not threatened by the members of the heterotopia . (Asylums and prisons were included in the definition of heterotopia). In this way we have skewed this concept to make spaces where everyone is included and encouraged to enter while 'letting go' .
- To promote these ideas we are providing or designing free postcards to groups, projects or movements that encompass or incorporate ideas of 'Play'. (See 'Postcards' tab). We also have produced a 'how to play' booklet or instruction guide
- Finally we hope to contribute to the changing dynamic of protest by encouraging the co-operation of elements of 'Play' and a certain spontaneity that complements more organized resistance (again see 'Play-space photos' tab).
What? In many ways 'Play' evades definition. 'Play' is not necessarily the process of engaging in games but can also be interpreted as a certain mental state. 'Play' is an activity which is not goal-directed and is 'in and of itself'. This does not mean play is meaningless, quite the opposite. In play there is something 'at play' which transcends the immediate needs of life and exists outside the framework of the 'daily' or 'ordinary'. An easier way to define play is to indicate what 'Play' is not. It is not rigid, unconscious, habitual or compulsive. 'Play' is essentially free in that you choose to take part and to leave. Although there may be rules to some 'Play' these are to encourage co-operation rather than competition. These must be created and exist within the separate reality of 'Play' and everyone must be aware of them. Although there may be winners or losers - it should not be winning or losing that matters rather purely the 'Playing' as there is no gain to be made for one side. 'Play' must always be separate from reality and involve the detachment necessarily that allows participants to be free from constraint and inhibition.
Why? The main motive behind the project is that capitalism can be corrosive to culture and creativity. The project aims to tackle this through the encouragement and promotion of 'Play' as an activity. We believe that we live in a society which creates so much pressure for 'success' that we feel constrained and inhibited to expressing ourselves in this manner, that we must follow a certain pattern in order to 'achieve' rather than engage in activity that is essentially pattern-less. Individuals live in a world where we never cease passing from one closed environment to another all with certain rules, from family to school to hospital to work etc. All with functions that order and compose our time. 'Play' is the idea of basically being 'outside time' and we believe that this relief of order temporarily is integral to maintaining positive mental health as without order, there is no pressure. We follow rules that socially and culturally condition us to believe certain behaviors and ways to act are either 'right' or just not questioned. This is potentially destructive as habit and repetition do not yield anything new and in that way the manner in which we think is not subject to change but rather stagnates. Rather than creating what is new and beneficial we are just creating more. 'Play' encourages levels of spontaneity that have the possibility of disturbing pattern and hence unlocking new methods of creation or ways of viewing things.
How?
- One of the aims of this project is to encourage people to engage in unusual or new activity which may go outside their
comfort zones. This can take the form of reverting to the childish and free nature of play that is already established (chasing, pretending, hide and seek etc) or to come with entirely new forms of play. We are holding a workshop based on this idea but have also established a group where people can organize themselves. (Please see the 'Join In' tab).
- In order to promote this idea we have juxtaposed the idea of 'Play-Space' with the idea of hegemonic space or space that represents control and order. In safe spaces, we would like to chalk 'other spaces' in which people are encouraged to 'play'. (Please see 'Play-Space Photos' tab).The idea of this 'alternative or other' space can relate back to the concept coined by the philosopher Michel Foucault of 'Heterotopian space', spaces that function in non-hegemonic conditions that are simultaneously physical and mental. However traditionally (but not always) the main purpose of a heterotopia was to exclude and make sure that society at large was not threatened by the members of the heterotopia . (Asylums and prisons were included in the definition of heterotopia). In this way we have skewed this concept to make spaces where everyone is included and encouraged to enter while 'letting go' .
- To promote these ideas we are providing or designing free postcards to groups, projects or movements that encompass or incorporate ideas of 'Play'. (See 'Postcards' tab). We also have produced a 'how to play' booklet or instruction guide
- Finally we hope to contribute to the changing dynamic of protest by encouraging the co-operation of elements of 'Play' and a certain spontaneity that complements more organized resistance (again see 'Play-space photos' tab).