4 March 2008
6 February 2008
SPART ACTION GROUP: WINTER GAMES
SPART ACTION GROUP: WINTER GAMES 7TH - 9TH FEBRUARY
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
WHAT THE HELL ARE TEH WINTER GAMES??
Just as the 20th Century demanded new forms of Art so too does the 21st century demand new forms of leisure. SPART is the ultimate hybridisation of art and sport and is therefore the most evolved form of leisure on the planet. The winter games is a three day misery-alleviating extravaganza stuffed full of all teh things you never thought of doing with your time. some games are played in teams some are played as individuals. All of them have winners and losers and medals and certificates and all the other kind of stuff you'd expect in a games event.
Bored with the monotony of consensus consumer reality? Do you wish there was something a bit more interesting and entertaining than endless re-runs of Friends? We have a suggestion: SPART
During the 7th, 8th and 9th February 2008 we invited the people of Belfast to come and play a series of new games with us. All the games were fresh from the SPART Action think tank and included such unforgettable events as:
Alleyway Bargain Hunt
Psychic hide and Seek
Cripple Mr Shithead in the Eye with the Hot Sauce
Ouija-boggle
Bogroll Croquet
And many more...
"tonight the city lies before us but we're beside ourselves with boredom"
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
WHAT THE HELL ARE TEH WINTER GAMES??
Just as the 20th Century demanded new forms of Art so too does the 21st century demand new forms of leisure. SPART is the ultimate hybridisation of art and sport and is therefore the most evolved form of leisure on the planet. The winter games is a three day misery-alleviating extravaganza stuffed full of all teh things you never thought of doing with your time. some games are played in teams some are played as individuals. All of them have winners and losers and medals and certificates and all the other kind of stuff you'd expect in a games event.
Bored with the monotony of consensus consumer reality? Do you wish there was something a bit more interesting and entertaining than endless re-runs of Friends? We have a suggestion: SPART
During the 7th, 8th and 9th February 2008 we invited the people of Belfast to come and play a series of new games with us. All the games were fresh from the SPART Action think tank and included such unforgettable events as:
Alleyway Bargain Hunt
Psychic hide and Seek
Cripple Mr Shithead in the Eye with the Hot Sauce
Ouija-boggle
Bogroll Croquet
And many more...
"tonight the city lies before us but we're beside ourselves with boredom"
29 January 2008
Workshop Plan
Aim: Design temporary play environments for indoor and outdoor use, constructed from found and recyled materials
Week1: Introductions, Explain Project, Games, Brainstorm Ideas, Sourcing Materials
Week2: How to construct shapes? What do the materials do?
Week3: Building and demonstrating
+ Alleyway bargain Hunt - 9th February
Week4: Fixing/Jointing
Week5: Insulation
+ Invite to exhibition in Golden Thread Gallery - 23rd February
week6: Painting/Accessorising
week7: Finalising Play Hubs
week8: Discuss Event
+Invite to Camping Excursion on 16th March
Week1: Introductions, Explain Project, Games, Brainstorm Ideas, Sourcing Materials
Week2: How to construct shapes? What do the materials do?
Week3: Building and demonstrating
+ Alleyway bargain Hunt - 9th February
Week4: Fixing/Jointing
Week5: Insulation
+ Invite to exhibition in Golden Thread Gallery - 23rd February
week6: Painting/Accessorising
week7: Finalising Play Hubs
week8: Discuss Event
+Invite to Camping Excursion on 16th March
Week Two - CCC
Aim: Shape Making
- Discuss the theme 'play hubs'
- Safety Rules - Supervision with tools/equipment
- How to construct shapes.
- What are the limitations of materials (plastic/cardboard/styrofoam(polystyrene thermal insulation)/wood/canvas)
9 January 2008
Possible sights
Ormeau Park:
Shaftesbury Area:
Gasworks:
It's features includes a bandstand, basketball/netball, playing fields, bowling greens and pavilions, car parking, an ecotrail, horticultural displays, orienteering course, playgrounds, seasonal bedding, specimen trees, soccer, tennis and walks. It was Belfast`s first public park, having opened its doors in 1871. It is still one of the largest parks in Belfast and offers a mixture of horticulture, woodland, wildlife and sporting facilities. In this huge space were space is not an issue, numbers of people is not either. It is a great meeting place and one, of which, you really feel like your our of the city. All areas are wheel chair accessible.
The demesne at Ormeau was the home of the Donegall family. The second Marquis moved there in 1807 and extended Ormeau House to accommodate his large household. The estate was sold in the 1860s to Belfast Corporation to pay off family debts due to gambling! Subsequently, the land was opened in 1871 as Ormeau Park and remains so today.
The demesne at Ormeau was the home of the Donegall family. The second Marquis moved there in 1807 and extended Ormeau House to accommodate his large household. The estate was sold in the 1860s to Belfast Corporation to pay off family debts due to gambling! Subsequently, the land was opened in 1871 as Ormeau Park and remains so today.
Shaftesbury Area:
Shaftesbury Recreation Centre, which runs next to the river Lagan, has great facilities and is managed by the LORAG (Lower Ormeau residents Action Group). It is available for a range of activities: football, basketball, badminton, dance classes, martial arts, keep fit classes, exercises and boccia. There can facilitate up to 500 seated people, equiped with conference, seminars, meetings rooms and an IT suite. The surrounding housing estate has been given a face lift provided by the Re-imagining programme.
Gasworks:
Continuing down my walk along the river Lagan, next was the Gasworks. The gasworks is a prime business location which includes Halifax, the Radison SAS Hotel. In it's day it produced heat and light for all of Belfast. Due to the high costs associated with gas production and th ereduction in demand the site closed in 1988, becoming vacant and derelict. Belfast City Council partnered up with the Gasworks to produce this corporation development which includes a high quality public realm, vehicle, pedestrian and cycle paths, significant works of art by local artists. Mike Hogg's 'Bottle Top' is shown in image.
The development restored the Clock Tower in 2002, sending out the message that time no longer stands still!
Further Playgrounds in Belfast:
The development restored the Clock Tower in 2002, sending out the message that time no longer stands still!
Further Playgrounds in Belfast:
- Balfour Avenue Playground, Balfour Avenue, Ormeau Road, BT7 2EW
- Barnetts Playground, Barnetts Demesne, Shaw’s Bridge Car Park, BT9 5PB
- Blythefield Playground, Blythe Street, Sandy Row, BT12 5HW
- Botanic Playground, Botanic Gardens, Stranmillis Embankment, BT7 1PN
- Carnanmore Playground, Carnanmore Park, Blacks Road, BT11 9LY
- Drumglass Playground, Drumglass/Cranmore Park, Lisburn Road, BT9 6JF
- Dunville Playground, Dunville Park, Dunville Street, BT12 4NF
- Falls Playground, Falls Park, Falls Road, BT12 6AN
- Geeragh Playground, Finaghy Community Centre, Geeragh Place, BT10 0ER
- Glassmullin Playground, Slievegallion Drive, Andersonstown Road, BT11 8JP
- Horn Drive Playground, Lenadoon Walk, Lenadoon Avenue, BT11 9GU
- Lemberg Street Playground, Lemberg Street, Roden Street, BT12 5QB
- McClure Street Playground,McClure Street, BT7 1FX
- Moyard Playground, Moyard Crescent, New Barnsley Park, BT12 7HJ
- Northlink Playground, Northlink Playing Fields, BT11 8HW
- Olympia Playground, Olympia Leisure Centre, Boucher Road, BT12 6NT
- Rev. Robert Bradford Playground, Howard Street South, Donegall Pass, BT7 1AX
- Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Playground, Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, Upper Malone Road, BT17 9LA
- Springhill Playground, Springhill Crescent, Springhill Avenue, Whiterock Road, BT12 7QJ
- Taughmonagh Playground, Malton Drive, Malone Road, BT9 6QF
- Wedderburn Playground, Wedderburn Playing Fields, Orpen Park, BT10 0BN
20 December 2007
Play Performance, FIX Festival
My performance for the FIX Festival challenged my own concept of play. The collaborative performance was done on the Ormeau Bridge, with Chrissie Cadman and Christoff Gillen, two professional performance artists, we played games using various sides balls and hulla hoops. We played to four hours repeating the rythms and manipulated them, to disrupt the flow of traffic and the daily routine of viewers travelling home from work. Days after the performance and travelled passed this site; day dreaming of the playful times I had there. It arouse emotions from the happy fun experience I had there.
We claimed the space temporarily for the use of play, it made me consider how children/people claim the streets temporarily in their daily lives; playing football on the streets, cycling their bike or hide and seek between the parked cars. It was our space in the time that the performance took place and I will forever have a connect to it.
I had a chance to experiment with my class mates as I was due to do a presentation on 'how Designers Might Design'
Collect names from groups presented to, contact mobile numbers and email addresses.
Text group informing them that they’re received an email.
“you have received an email from me. Please do not respond to this message”
They receive an email containing an image and a question, questioning the space within the image.
I threw up these questions in the week running up to my presentation. This was done as a build up, for them to question the space and for each participant to think differently about interacting within it.
On the day – Tuesday 11th December, 2007. I invited the group into the space in question, to play games. It was the entrance area of the college. I gave simple instructions for each game. Asked if anyone wanted to add/subtract anything form the instructions.
Game 1 – Pass the Clap
Everyone in the group has an imaginary ball and to pass the ball around one must clap, for someone to catch it they must clap simultaneously. The ball is pass around the circle and once a firm rhythm is established, start accelerating slowly. Add in a few extra balls into the circle so there are several claps going around the circle at the same time.
Game 2 – Zip, Zap, Bop, Toin
Everybody gets in a circle. This game is similar to claps. Each ball has its own special movement pattern, and its own sound. Each word is introduced separately until participants understand the instructions. This time when a ball is being passed to the person next to that, the person says ‘Zip’; to a person across from them ‘Zap’; to block the ball, the participant jumps and puts they’re hands up. The ball is returned in direction by saying ‘Bop”.
Game 3 - Homage to Magritte ‘this bottle is not a bottle’
‘There is many objects with a single object, if the final goal is the revolution; but there would be no objects within any object. If that goal were to disappear’ (Bertolt Brecht). Discuss Rene Magritte’s work ‘ this is not a pipe’; the picture bears titles, which disrupt the identification of the object they depict. ‘This is not a bottle, so what could it be? The game consists of giving the group a bottle, placing it in the middle of the circle, where each participant in succession must discover a use for, by the addition of his or her body to the image; what could this object have been? The body can be acted out as a phone, hairbrush, football, possibilities are endless.
Bring group back to room for a discussion on play and space. Throwing out questions o start of debate. Did you feel like you claimed the space temporarily? Could that be adapted to any space? Where?
Using the college as a metaphor for the city, can you suggest other spaces that we could claim temporarily and use for play? Why some over others? What restrictions are there? Who puts these restictions there? Do we as students own this space, as we have paid for entry (like membership fee into a club), have rights to be in the space. But we do not have authorisation of make permanent changed to the space, temporary play like this is acceptable but not much more. The entrance to the college is cold, clinical, executive, exposed, formal; everything that you would not imagine an art college to feel like. Does the college not no what its suppose to be and what it suppose to be for?
What spaces and Private and Public? What spaces are controlled in the city – college, shopping centre, city hall, alley ways, derelict buildings, public parks etc?
(Architects) Does this idea wreck your head – that a space for play cannot be a controlled space? Did you see any importance in the game exercies, now that the objective behind it is clearer?
I am interested in designing a new game that integrates groups that wouldn’t normally meet. What games already exist within these groups? What games would be possible – football. How do we play in our everyday lives? Modern play – eg facebook, bebo, myspace (online networking), mobiles, SMS, playstation, online multi-player games (Counter Strike, World of War Craft, Call of Duty, Quake Three, Eve), Nintendo DS (portable games console). How do you play in your everyday lives?
I told the story in my presentation about how my ownership and attachment to a space on the Ormeau bridge had changes since my performance there. I hoped each person could gain something from their play experience that day. That it would raise different emotions and question their attachment about the space they just played in.
We claimed the space temporarily for the use of play, it made me consider how children/people claim the streets temporarily in their daily lives; playing football on the streets, cycling their bike or hide and seek between the parked cars. It was our space in the time that the performance took place and I will forever have a connect to it.
I had a chance to experiment with my class mates as I was due to do a presentation on 'how Designers Might Design'
Collect names from groups presented to, contact mobile numbers and email addresses.
Text group informing them that they’re received an email.
“you have received an email from me. Please do not respond to this message”
They receive an email containing an image and a question, questioning the space within the image.
I threw up these questions in the week running up to my presentation. This was done as a build up, for them to question the space and for each participant to think differently about interacting within it.
On the day – Tuesday 11th December, 2007. I invited the group into the space in question, to play games. It was the entrance area of the college. I gave simple instructions for each game. Asked if anyone wanted to add/subtract anything form the instructions.
Game 1 – Pass the Clap
Everyone in the group has an imaginary ball and to pass the ball around one must clap, for someone to catch it they must clap simultaneously. The ball is pass around the circle and once a firm rhythm is established, start accelerating slowly. Add in a few extra balls into the circle so there are several claps going around the circle at the same time.
Game 2 – Zip, Zap, Bop, Toin
Everybody gets in a circle. This game is similar to claps. Each ball has its own special movement pattern, and its own sound. Each word is introduced separately until participants understand the instructions. This time when a ball is being passed to the person next to that, the person says ‘Zip’; to a person across from them ‘Zap’; to block the ball, the participant jumps and puts they’re hands up. The ball is returned in direction by saying ‘Bop”.
Game 3 - Homage to Magritte ‘this bottle is not a bottle’
‘There is many objects with a single object, if the final goal is the revolution; but there would be no objects within any object. If that goal were to disappear’ (Bertolt Brecht). Discuss Rene Magritte’s work ‘ this is not a pipe’; the picture bears titles, which disrupt the identification of the object they depict. ‘This is not a bottle, so what could it be? The game consists of giving the group a bottle, placing it in the middle of the circle, where each participant in succession must discover a use for, by the addition of his or her body to the image; what could this object have been? The body can be acted out as a phone, hairbrush, football, possibilities are endless.
Bring group back to room for a discussion on play and space. Throwing out questions o start of debate. Did you feel like you claimed the space temporarily? Could that be adapted to any space? Where?
Using the college as a metaphor for the city, can you suggest other spaces that we could claim temporarily and use for play? Why some over others? What restrictions are there? Who puts these restictions there? Do we as students own this space, as we have paid for entry (like membership fee into a club), have rights to be in the space. But we do not have authorisation of make permanent changed to the space, temporary play like this is acceptable but not much more. The entrance to the college is cold, clinical, executive, exposed, formal; everything that you would not imagine an art college to feel like. Does the college not no what its suppose to be and what it suppose to be for?
What spaces and Private and Public? What spaces are controlled in the city – college, shopping centre, city hall, alley ways, derelict buildings, public parks etc?
(Architects) Does this idea wreck your head – that a space for play cannot be a controlled space? Did you see any importance in the game exercies, now that the objective behind it is clearer?
I am interested in designing a new game that integrates groups that wouldn’t normally meet. What games already exist within these groups? What games would be possible – football. How do we play in our everyday lives? Modern play – eg facebook, bebo, myspace (online networking), mobiles, SMS, playstation, online multi-player games (Counter Strike, World of War Craft, Call of Duty, Quake Three, Eve), Nintendo DS (portable games console). How do you play in your everyday lives?
I told the story in my presentation about how my ownership and attachment to a space on the Ormeau bridge had changes since my performance there. I hoped each person could gain something from their play experience that day. That it would raise different emotions and question their attachment about the space they just played in.
19 December 2007
Cliftonville Community Centre - Initial Plans
Room for workshop
Workshop 1:
A meeting was held in the Cliftonville Community Centre, 11th January, 2008 at 3pm to discuss the ideas for a Workshop to be held at Cliftonville Community Centre (CCC), a time-line of the project, available groups, times available, Tools & Materials. Attending was Ruth Graham (GT Gallery), Michelle Nolan (MA Art in Public). Louise Mathews and Ray Grant (Cliftonville Community Centre).
I approached CCC with my idea of constructing foldable play huts/houses/tools, both Louise and Ray were enthused about the idea. The initial initial workshop – temporary, foldable playhouse/play tools made from recycled or found materials. The group will source the materials themselves or participate in the collect of.
Last summer local lads boys the hut the boys initiated last summer and personally constructed. It lasted 2weeks before it was burnt down, more likely than not by the boys on the other side of the Peace line. Evidence of the burning remains on the wall, where the hut had been placed.
There is a large gap next to the Peace line. An area barricaded off for security purposes, allowing a space to separating the Protestant (Shankill) and Catholic (Cliftonville) neighbourhoods from each other, in case of sectarianism disputes. Tension particularly grows during the summer months and segregated group’s aim with bottles, stones and metal at the other. This ‘no man’s land’ is a contested space and one that the Belfast City Council (BCC) needs to be challenged over. The young people could initiate applications and a proposal for a project to develop in this contested space.
It is arranged that workshops begin on Tuesday 22nd January, at 8pm.
I questioned the possibility of doing a climbing project on the peace wall by constructing a temporary climbing device or a magnetic board game on the galvanized sections. This idea was dismissed because it would pose problems with both communities, aiding easy access but my magnetic board game idea was welcomed and is a possible project in the future.
A Draw-In would be arranged on the second workshop. I suggest inviting the parkour boys (PB) to the Draw-In (Saturdays being available day for them as a lot of them travel in from the country). They would bring a lot of energy and creativity to the workshop. Ramps could be easily constructed. The PB would bring the skills necessary to training/teach the group about free running. Otherwise a trip would be made to the Waterfront (the location were the PB meet) on a Saturday midway through the workshop, like a carrot to keep them motived. Proposed date: 16th February. I would like to invite groups from the CCC, Draw-IN members and give an open invite to come together for a Draw-In session, held at the Playground at CCC. The objective of the Draw-In is to construct temporary obstacle courses, play houses/tools and equipment. LM & RG suggested for this to be held on a Tuesday evening as part of the workshop. The sand playground, football pitch and changing room are available. Proposed date: 22/29 January.
At the end of this workshop I will bring the group camping with there newly produced fold-able huts. Location is yet to be decided. This will come about with the help and organisation of the team at CCC.
Workshops 2:
There was mention about the playground needing a revamp and Ciara (who runs the crèche) has sourced funding for that to go ahead. I obviously expressed my interest in getting involved in the design and construction of. The area directly outside the crèche is presently used for children, 1-7 year olds, but is solely a sanded area with no equipment. A blank canvas as such.
There is huge possibilities for this space and a lot of primary research is needed for the design of play tools/equipment. First off, I propose to set up a camera above the creche (the creche is inside the two shutters) looking down on to the sand area for play. Set the camera at stop motion. Observe the markings on the sand; note the movements in the sand. Do the children make curvy or straight lines? The area with most markings will indicate area used most, likewise with the still patches of sand least used. What play equipment is suitable for frequent use and/or group use? What games or play tools is suitable for quiet locations within the playground and/or individual?
Note measurements in height and in distance form a number of children. Take the adverage of both. Note also the adverage in height and width of the children; how much area space they need.
I will begin primary research for the play space during my time spent at CCC for workshop one. With negotiations with Ciara, design and produce play tools/equipment for the particular children in mind. I will propose workshops with the children attending the creche to get a better understanding of their needs and desires for the space; a wish list. i hope to begin these workshops after the Easter break. Design and production will begin in late September.
A meeting was held in the Cliftonville Community Centre, 11th January, 2008 at 3pm to discuss the ideas for a Workshop to be held at Cliftonville Community Centre (CCC), a time-line of the project, available groups, times available, Tools & Materials. Attending was Ruth Graham (GT Gallery), Michelle Nolan (MA Art in Public). Louise Mathews and Ray Grant (Cliftonville Community Centre).
I approached CCC with my idea of constructing foldable play huts/houses/tools, both Louise and Ray were enthused about the idea. The initial initial workshop – temporary, foldable playhouse/play tools made from recycled or found materials. The group will source the materials themselves or participate in the collect of.
Last summer local lads boys the hut the boys initiated last summer and personally constructed. It lasted 2weeks before it was burnt down, more likely than not by the boys on the other side of the Peace line. Evidence of the burning remains on the wall, where the hut had been placed.
There is a large gap next to the Peace line. An area barricaded off for security purposes, allowing a space to separating the Protestant (Shankill) and Catholic (Cliftonville) neighbourhoods from each other, in case of sectarianism disputes. Tension particularly grows during the summer months and segregated group’s aim with bottles, stones and metal at the other. This ‘no man’s land’ is a contested space and one that the Belfast City Council (BCC) needs to be challenged over. The young people could initiate applications and a proposal for a project to develop in this contested space.
It is arranged that workshops begin on Tuesday 22nd January, at 8pm.
I questioned the possibility of doing a climbing project on the peace wall by constructing a temporary climbing device or a magnetic board game on the galvanized sections. This idea was dismissed because it would pose problems with both communities, aiding easy access but my magnetic board game idea was welcomed and is a possible project in the future.
A Draw-In would be arranged on the second workshop. I suggest inviting the parkour boys (PB) to the Draw-In (Saturdays being available day for them as a lot of them travel in from the country). They would bring a lot of energy and creativity to the workshop. Ramps could be easily constructed. The PB would bring the skills necessary to training/teach the group about free running. Otherwise a trip would be made to the Waterfront (the location were the PB meet) on a Saturday midway through the workshop, like a carrot to keep them motived. Proposed date: 16th February. I would like to invite groups from the CCC, Draw-IN members and give an open invite to come together for a Draw-In session, held at the Playground at CCC. The objective of the Draw-In is to construct temporary obstacle courses, play houses/tools and equipment. LM & RG suggested for this to be held on a Tuesday evening as part of the workshop. The sand playground, football pitch and changing room are available. Proposed date: 22/29 January.
At the end of this workshop I will bring the group camping with there newly produced fold-able huts. Location is yet to be decided. This will come about with the help and organisation of the team at CCC.
Workshops 2:
There was mention about the playground needing a revamp and Ciara (who runs the crèche) has sourced funding for that to go ahead. I obviously expressed my interest in getting involved in the design and construction of. The area directly outside the crèche is presently used for children, 1-7 year olds, but is solely a sanded area with no equipment. A blank canvas as such.
There is huge possibilities for this space and a lot of primary research is needed for the design of play tools/equipment. First off, I propose to set up a camera above the creche (the creche is inside the two shutters) looking down on to the sand area for play. Set the camera at stop motion. Observe the markings on the sand; note the movements in the sand. Do the children make curvy or straight lines? The area with most markings will indicate area used most, likewise with the still patches of sand least used. What play equipment is suitable for frequent use and/or group use? What games or play tools is suitable for quiet locations within the playground and/or individual?
Note measurements in height and in distance form a number of children. Take the adverage of both. Note also the adverage in height and width of the children; how much area space they need.
I will begin primary research for the play space during my time spent at CCC for workshop one. With negotiations with Ciara, design and produce play tools/equipment for the particular children in mind. I will propose workshops with the children attending the creche to get a better understanding of their needs and desires for the space; a wish list. i hope to begin these workshops after the Easter break. Design and production will begin in late September.
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