IN-PERSON: Livable Cities – New York
Abstract
The Early Childhood Education team at Victoria University, Public Realm Lab (architects), and Maribyrnong City Council partnered in 2021 with the aim of reactivating Maddern Square, a public space in Footscray (inner suburban Melbourne, Australia), by introducing a pop-up playspace. Mini Maddern aimed to create a child-friendly space in Maddern Square, a hidden pocket in an inner urban area, surrounded by the backs of shops. This project drew on Playwork expertise, and was overwhelmingly successful in engaging local families. However, the intervention in the space was marked by social and ethical challenges and, at times, competing values. Maddern Square can be identified as a ‘haunted place’ (Gordon, 2008, 2011). Our appearance in the square risked the regular inhabitants, marginalised people of all ages, experiencing further repression. Australian history is fraught with stories of displacement and VU and PRL staff foresaw the possibilities of stories of colonisation repeating in this place. Drawing on Haraway’s (2016) and Taylor’s (2018) idea of response-ability, and theories of public pedagogy, this presentation explores the social and ethical challenges posed by the implementation of a playspace in public space. In reflecting on this experience, we explore the questions: § Whose voices were heard and valued? § How can we plan for play and design the built environment to create a shared sense of place? § How can this creation cater for disparate communities with competing values and needs? § In what ways did Playwork and the children’s play redesign and reshape the boundaries of community?
Mary-Rose McLaren is a professor in the College of Arts, Education, Law and IT at Victoria University, Melbourne. She is head of the Early Childhood program and co-chairs the Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education. Mary-Rose teaches arts-based and creativity units in Early Childhood and in the Diploma of Education studies. She researches and writes in drama pedagogy, equity, values in education, and educational innovation. She has led several community engagement projects in Early Childhood.
Anna Maskiell is a registered Architect and co-founder of Public Realm Lab, a design consultancy that exists to enrich the public life of communities. At Public Realm Lab, Anna works at the nexus between research, advocacy and design to connect Strategy, Culture and Place; Judd Walsh is an academic in the College of Arts and Education at Victoria University. She is also a qualified Playworker. As well as teaching in the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, Judd leads the Playwork training and pop-up plays spaces run by Victoria University.
Jessica Grimes is an academic in the College of Arts and Education, Early Childhood Education, at Victoria University. She has a Master of Education, focusing on the concept of International Mindedness in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. She has worked in primary schools in Melbourne and regional Victoria, and has taught preschool in Kampot, Cambodia and in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jess teaches in the Bachelor and Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education at Victoria University. Her research focuses on creative arts and philosophy in teacher education for early childhood educators, and how theoretical and creative approaches support diversity, inclusivity and equality.
Sarah Jobson is an academic in the College of Arts and Education, Early Childhood Education, at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. She has worked as a teacher with children aged from birth to 18, and adult education in Australia and China. She is currently teaching into the Bachelor and Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education and developing programs to remove barriers to participation in initial teacher education for working assistant educators. Her research focuses on action research with infant educators in early childhood education settings and play spaces in public places.
3:15 pm - 4:45 pm
Thursday 15th June, 2023