The Play Object Project is a long term collaborative research project advocating for, studying, and making new forms of play for all peoples. The project is supported through a fellowship at the Center for the Arts in Society and is directed by Isla Hansen. As part of the project, Isla created an artist in residence program in collaboration with the Children's School (and director Sharon Carver) and served as the pilot artist in residence. The Children's School is a lab preschool housed within the Psychology department at Carnegie Mellon University.
Through researching cultures of play as revealed through the history and contemporary life of playgrounds, play spaces, toys, toy stores, and children-centric or play-centric institutions, the Play Object Project explores the differences and similarities in play across cultural borderlines. Through a range of experimental social artworks surrounding the making of play and play objects, the Play Object Project translates and creates action across the borders that divide geographically and ideologically separated cultural communities and creates a literal exchange or trading space for play.
Read more about the project here
Follow Objects of Play research lab for the project @objectsofplay
