Sowing the Seeds: 2024
We entered our winter period, sitting with the questions, ‘Who do we need to be in response to the land, the children, and the community during our next cycle’ and, ‘How are we responding to the complexities of the global crises?’. We were gifted a grant from Lankelly Chase supporting us to listen, reflect, observe and understand more about where and how our practice is located, what our ‘niche’ is and how will we get to move through the coming seasons. Deep gratitude to the worlds within worlds, that move us in unknowable ways; we are stirred by the energies of spring and our dreaming time together as we prepare by clearing space for new possibilities.
Glue Garden
A visit to the glue garden on 20th Feb to reconnected us with the space and it was also time to remember shared stories the garden has stored up. Part of the beauty and dread of caring for a communal site is not knowing what we will be greeted with on arrival; this time round the usual sense of dread dissipated as we came upon a fresh trail of human imagination and creativity. Local children who manage to access the site had been busy again, not destroying this time but building; what was left of our resources in the wood store had been put in service of making shelters; maybe sparked by the cold and wet of winter days; either way as observers we all felt a mixed sense of joy and pride.
National Playwork Conference
Spring is our time for collaboration and what a way to start to March, delivering a session at the 21st National Playwork Conference. It was our first visit to the conference (our intention is that it will not be our last!), chance for deep immersion into play and playwork. We found ourselves in collaboration heaven connecting to national and international practitioners and organisations. With each interaction leaving us feeling nourished.
Creation and Collaboration
We are excited by connections closer to home, as we get busy creating opportunities to engage deeper and wider, these include:
Fireside Conversations – various locations - We are interested in sitting with folk to hold space for difficult questions.
Poster campaign – invitations to play, ‘road sign to play’.
SPARK Training – a CPD accredited offer