About the project:
Context for the research: “The adventure playground is a kind of parable of anarchy, a free society in miniature, with the same tensions and ever-changing harmonies, the same diversity and spontaneity, the same unforced growth of co-operation and release of individual qualities and communal sense, which lie dormant in a society whose dominant values are competition and acquisitiveness.” (Colin Ward).
Pitsmoor Adventure Playground in Sheffield has recently received charitable status and has moved from a council funded and run service to community co-produced provision. The playground has adapted to the challenge of changing funding structures. Established by parents on a small piece of waste ground in the early 1970’s, the playground has been part of the lives of generations of children. The Pitsmoor Adventure Playground CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) has recently worked closely with Sheffield University’s School of Architecture’s ‘Live Works’. Launched in 2014, Live Works is the UK’s first permanent university-led Urban Room, engaging local people in debate about the past, present and future of the city. They are keen to further develop the partnership and collaboratively explore emerging findings from the Connected Communities program in this project.
The School of Architecture are interested in the intersection between action and research and feel that work drawing on philosophy and with ethnographers around the concept of Utopia would provide fertile shared ground for co-produced approaches with communities. The Poly-Technic is the collaborative arts practice of Steve Pool and Kate Genever. It is grown from a set of key principles, is not buildings based, geographically specific or funding reliant. It aims to provide a melting pot for ideas, exploring how knowledge is found in places and people. The Poly-technic is working as studio in residence with Live Works for the coming year as part of the major Arts Council award ‘Taking the Lead.’
Management team delivering activities: Kate Pahl, Johan Siebers, Patrick Meleady Dan Jary, Geoff Bright, Steve Pool
Artists: Patrick Amber, Steve Pool, Poly-technic.
Project partners: Pitsmoor Adventure Playground, Sheffield School of Architecture- Live Works
