Althea Thauberger, a Vancouver-based video artist, persuaded authorities in Rijeka, Croatia, to let her and over 50 local children (ages 6-13) take over an abandoned 19th-century factory. In her film, Preuzmimo Bencic (Take Back Bencic), Althea follows children over a five week period as they use various modes of expression like dance, movement, video-making, music, poetry and discuss and examine the relationship between play, work, cultural, tradition and what creating art and community means. The idea was to give children a full voice as “artists.”
What struck me was how little opportunity we give children to co-create and play. Creating communities that unleashes the instinct for children to play can only create more satisfying experiences. Simply put: Spaces that offer challenging experiences in a fun and direct way nurtures a child’s curiosity which in turn fosters their own creative impulses. It’s not just the physical space that is required but the philosophy behind it.
We don’t have enough playgrounds (and not enough creative ones)!
Mike Lanza has written a book, Playborhood, in response to children having far too much screen time and not enough face time. This in turn decreases access to places where they can play freely. Too many children have become so scheduled and supervised that they barely understand how to socialize with other kids. He shows how parents can “turn their neighborhood into a place for play” through simple yet imaginative games. Parents invite their neighbors’ kids. They turn their yard into a place for the neighborhood kids to play in. Their front yard. Their back yard.
Children become free to learn.
For over 20 years my good friends Susan and Susiawan have been advocating for the arts as a teaching and learning tool in Indonesia, Canada and Japan. For the last three years they have created and led exceptional programs for children, through their Yellow Coco Creative Nest in Ubud, Bali. Regardless of culture, social status, or community affiliation they offer lessons through the arts, bilingual shadow puppetry programs, mask-making and play, drawing lessons, story theater, singing, drumming, dancing and much more for the kids. They are the embodiment of creating a truly wonderful space for children.
I urge you to support their initiative of building a more permanent location, now that their 3-year lease is up.
Please click on Yellow Coco Creative Nest to find out how you can make a difference.
What playgrounds are you creating? Engaging in? Building? Or have you forgotten the power of play?
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dominik loncar 