Tuesday's Happenings

1. Perspectives around Play

World leading academic specialists will be joining us either in person or via Skype to present information and ideas about how play is seen and understood from their particular perspective. These sessions will provide inspirational opportunities for participants to reflect on their own understandings of play.

2. Playwork Theory

Every year at Conference it is important to have the opportunity to think more about the theory that underpins playwork practice. This track pitches sessions at different levels so that current theory is covered from the introductory through to the highly critical

3. Risk

Tim Gill is curating this track in which participants will be able to hear from work leading experts like Dr Ellen Sandsetter about the meanings and importance of risk, how children can engage with risk in settings and how playworkers and other adults can make balanced judgements about levels of intervention.

4. Lobbying

As the political and financial worlds change we, the playwork sector, need to be positioning ourselves and our work in such a way that it is recognised, accepted and valued. To do so requires that we have methodologies for engaging with local, national and international elected officials, NGO's and other organisations and forums.

5. Interaction and Intervention

As playworkers we engage with the children and young people who use our services but do we spend enough time thinking about that engagement and the impact or effect it may have on the children and their play. Here participants will get the space and time to look at different models of playworker behaviour and how they can impact on the play lives of the children and young people.

6. Stuff to Think About

It is all too easy to become a bit Anglo-centric so the opportunity to hear about what is happening elsewhere in the world can help us develop methodologies to improve the offer we make in the UK.

7. FCSP: Family + Community + Society = Playwork

This track builds on the previous Conference's sessions curated by Arthur Battram and this time he is focussing on work with boys; cookery with kids; family and reaching out at adventure playgrounds.

8. The Natural Outside World

Containing both practical and theoretical sessions, there will be both playing, and talking in the Garden

9. Practical Ideas to Take Home

Although playwork is primarily not about running activities there are times when the children and young people ask the adults to offer them something specific. This track will increase your repertoire of what you can offer and maybe introduce you to some concepts you might not have come across before.

See the full programme at our programme specific website here