Carl Stevenson: Playing Out Films

 

On Friday 1 February on Wyndham & Comber estate, the South London Gallery hosted a discussion around the theme of 'Playing Out'. This event also provided the opportunity to showcase an outdoor video installation by artist Carl Stevenson who collaborated with children and young people from Wyndham and Comber estate during 2012.

Carl worked with the children every week between October and mid-December, he brought a variety of different objects to help engage them in different play activities, which he then recorded and edited into a series of short films which were then made into the installation you can see in the images above.

Here are a selection of the films:

 

 

Making Noise

For Tom White's first session on Southampton Way estate, he encouraged the children to make noise. Lots of noise. Big noises, small noises, funny noises, strange noises and everything in between. The children then set out to find as many different sounds as they could.

 

 

Using tape decks, digital sound recorders and cameras, the children set out to record, playback and re-record all sorts of different sounds. Using casette tape decks, the children were able to easily listen back to the sounds they were recording.

 

They used found objects to create new sounds, and also used these objects to interact with the environment.

The sessions continue each Sunday throughout February, 2-4pm, starting at the green on Southampton Way estate.

Playing Out

Today, the Shop of Possibilities moved outside. Due to an unfortunately leaky roof rather than cancel the session we opted for playing out. So we all grabbed things that we wanted to use and set up out the front!

It was a little cold so there were plenty of active activities going on, like skipping and 'It'.

Then the children decided that they wanted to make a tent, they directed us adults appropriately and made sure we were all pulling our weight!

Then it was put to use for the rest of the session. By creating this structure, the children addressed all the difficulties of being outside: it provided shelter from the wind, gave them a place to 'be' and they were also prepared if it began to rain. It also allowed them to really inhabit the public space and claim a bit of it for themselves.

A Maze Made of Tape

 

It's interesting to see how children's interest in a particular material can be randomly sparked at any given moment. We've had a box of old 8mm film reels, casette tapes and video cassettes in the Shop of Possibilities since we opened the space last summer and the children have never paid them any more than a quick glance. However today one of the children, Basit, became curious. He found the tin of 8mm film and began to unwind it, and was fascinated by how it seemed to go on and on and on...

 

 

 He began to unroll it, and wrapped it around the fences which surround the allotments. The film carried on going. So he wrapped it around the trees which are opposite the shop and it just kept going...

 

 

The other children then began to take notice, and were fascinated by the film and the tapes. They each grabbed casettes and started trying to pull the tape from the plastic cases. None of them knew what a tape even was, so as they were unravelling them, they were asking questions and we tried our very best to explain.

 

With all this tape and film, Paige and Patrick began to turn it into a maze, creating obstacles you had to duck under, jump over or shimmy past. If you touched the tape you had to start again. Before they had finished, all the other children wanted to explore the maze.

 

 

Play Local!

 

Join us on Southampton Way estate every Sunday throughout February.

 

Working with artist Tom White, children and families are encouraged to explore sounds that can be found around the estate, as well as creating new ones. Tape decks, microphones and cameras are all ready to be used, come prepared to make some noise!

 

If you would like to join us meet at 2pm at the green on Southampton Way estate. Sessions run from 2-4pm and are free and drop-in.

 

For more information please contact Jack on 020 7703 6120 or email jack@southlondongallery.org

 



The Giant Snowball Destruction

 

A project by Patrick, age 8. With help from Khalid, age 9.

Snow Day

So today there was lots of snow. There were also lots of children. Cue snowball fights, falling over, wet gloves, soggy socks, giggling, chasing, hiding and all the other things that come with a snow day!

Lily-May checks to make sure the bin is big enough for plenty of snow...

Collecting snow for snowballs

Snowball cricket

 

It was a day of excitement, team games, exercise, strategy and fun. Snow can be one of the most accessible loose parts and it's rarity makes it even more exciting to play with!

Shadows

The Car

 All of the girls who visited the shop today had roller skates, apart from Paige, so she decided to create her own set of wheels! Here is what she used to make her 'car':

She put the skateboard in the middle of the table top and put some sheets of foam in between to stop the skateboard from snapping (as the board was slightly arched). She then used a combination of thick string and brown tape to secure the skateboard to the table top.

 

The finished product:

 

And here it is in action:

Make sure the wheels are pointing forwards or the direction you wish to travel in. Then you must sit (preferably cross legged) in the centre of the table top and get your balance just right so the edges don't touch the floor. Then someone pushes you and off you go! If you want to slow down you put your weight slightly to one side and let the edge scrape the floor until you reach the right speed.

Created by Paige, age 11

Happy New Year

Aliyah works on a new sign for the Shop

Fun with tape...

The Shop of Possibilities re-opened this week and the children were very excited to be back in the space! As soon as the doors were open they were there ready to take over the space again. Today we had a huge variety of energetic activities such as acrobatics, climbing, drawing and wrapping each other up in tape. A great start to the new year!