LONDON.- Play Well explores the transformative power of play both in childhood and society at large. Through a range of objects including toys, games, artworks and design objects from the 1800s to the present day, it considers how children learn through play and its importance in developing social bonds, emotional resilience and physical wellbeing. It examines the relevance of play in the adult world and its vital role in fostering imagination, enabling independent thought and challenging the status quo. Play Well presents historical and contemporary objects and artworks that invite visitors to explore and reflect upon their own play experiences and the impact of play on our lives. It includes images of children at play in the street, the playground and beyond; makeshift and commercially produced toys; digital games and an interactive installation by artist Adam James.
The first section, Nature/ Nurture, examines the importance of play in child development and education, and how it can be employed in therapeutic work. It explores the innate drive of the young to play, featuring examples of both animal and human play. The beliefs of early educational reformers are considered, including the work of philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau and Kindergarten founder Friedrich Fröbel, both of whom set play at the centre of childhood experience and argued on behalf of the child’s right to play. The long-lasting influence of 20th century educational theorists will also feature, with figures such as Margaret McMillan in London and Loris Malaguzzi in Reggio Emilia, Italy, who advocated for learning through play.
The role of play and its therapeutic importance in uncovering trauma is considered with material from pioneers in the field such as Margaret Lowenfeld and D.W Winnicott, whose archives are held at Wellcome Collection. Play can also serve as a retreat from conflict, fostering a sense of emotional security. Play Labs set up in Rohingya refugee camps by the humanitarian organisation BRAC offer displaced children a safe space to play. Meanwhile, photographer Mark Neville shows a child playing in the aftermath of shelling at her home in Ukraine, processing trauma with defiance and resilience.
The second section, Toys Like Us, focuses on how children’s play reflects and adapts to the world around them. It explores the influence of contemporary culture on playground play, from clapping games and rhymes to dances inspired by the online videogame Fortnite.
The transformative potential of the imagination on basic playthings like sticks and blocks is highlighted, alongside the shift towards increasingly commercialised toys. It will chart the evolution of LEGO® products (the LEGO® name coming from the Danish words leg godt, whose meaning is "play well”). This section also explores the power of toys to challenge stereotypes and change attitudes through Toy Like Me, a creative collective who have called on the mainstream toy industry to better represent diversity in the toybox.
Finally, Rules and Risk investigates the effect of an increasingly risk-averse society as play has shifted from the street to the playground and increasingly inside. The freedom of unsupervised outdoor play from a bygone era is captured through post war British street photography by Bert Hardy, Nigel Henderson and Shirley Baker and paintings by Joan Eardley, demonstrating children’s evident sense of ownership of the street. Pioneering playground designs by Dutch architect Aldo Van Eyck situated play within the fabric of cities, while in the UK the adventure playground movement led by Marjorie Allen aimed to ensure risk and exposure to nature were preserved.
Meanwhile fears for safety and the rise of the digital play space have led to a reduction of freedom for today’s children. Technology offers parents an unprecedented level of surveillance, while video gaming presents its own set of opportunities and risks. In the exhibition a group of young people, part of Wellcome Collection’s Raw Minds programme, aged 14-19, respond to this question in a series of digital games, designed by them exploring loneliness, anxiety, commerce and teamwork.
Shamita Sharmacharja, co-curator of the exhibition says “The instinct to play is one that we are all born with. It is how we learn to explore the world around us, understand our own emotions, and make social connections. However, although this instinct is innate, it requires the right conditions to flourish. In a risk averse society where work is privileged over play, and children have little time or space for free unstructured play, we look at what it means to play well, and its impact on childhood and society at large.”
Accompanying the exhibition is a commission by artist Adam James, who examines the role of play in the adult world and its potential to promote empathy. James works in live action role play (larp), where the participants create a collaborative fiction and then physically act out their characters' actions. He has created a play space in the gallery where visitors can take part in either independent play, facilitated gallery games or more in depth larps which are part of Wellcome Collection’s live programme.
