Play is a vital part of how we learn, connect, create and make meaning. Yet in many cultural spaces, play can feel difficult to prioritise amid concerns around risk, resources and competing organisational or educational pressures.
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation exploring how creative and cultural educators can champion play as a tool for participation, creativity and connection. Through examples from galleries, museums and community settings, we'll consider what it takes to create environments where children, young people and adults alike feel empowered to experiment, imagine and engage on their own terms.
Together, we'll explore how play can bridge generations, foster meaningful exchange and create opportunities for spontaneous participation. Drawing on projects including Tate's UNIQLO Tate Play programme, Orleans House Gallery's Play & Imagine strand, and participatory arts practice rooted in wellbeing and connection, we'll discuss how play can transform cultural experiences for audiences of all ages, with a particular focus on children and young people.
In this Cultural Sector Masterclass session, you will hear from:
Holly Riddle, Curator, Early Years and Families, Tate (Uniqlo Tate Play)
Holly works on holiday activations for Uniqlo Tate Play, with the common goal of making art accessible for all. In the past, she has worked for galleries, festivals and cultural institutions, encouraging families to collaboratively play and create together.
Abigail Hunt, Freelance Artist
Abigail is a freelance artist whose practice incorporates collage, sculpture, installation, social engagement and event-based performance. She has worked as a freelance educator for over 25 years for galleries, museums, schools and other groups. In the summer of 2026 she was one of the collaborators of the ‘All The Things’ exhibition at Orleans House Gallery which is an intergenerational project exploring Play and Imagination across all ages working with people from 3 months to 94 years old. She has also been the lead artist on the early years PlayMakeArt Programme at Orleans House for the last 4 years. She is an Associate Lecturer on the Creative Arts Practice and Fine Art courses at Bath Spa University and she is the Programme Manager for the Camden Schools Art Biennale for Central St Martins, UAL.
Charlotte Derry, Director, Playful Places
Charlotte is a creative play consultant working with museums, cultural venues and schools to improve the conditions of children’s play through the delivery of context-sensitive playwork training, coaching, play auditing, and creative idea-generation. Her work is informed by spatial and social justice, permaculture principles and a belief that children’s play is a vital part of life.
This Masterclass series will be hosted by Clare Murphy, a storyteller, speaker and consultant who brings the ancient art of story firmly into the contemporary world where it belongs.
This event may be particularly relevant for anyone who is interested in:
- Working with children and young people in creative settings
- Creating more opportunities for play safely
- Creating more joyful, inclusive and participatory cultural experiences
What You'll Gain
- Insights from peers working with children and young people
- Examples of successful youth-focused initiatives and programmes
- Practical ideas for creating more playful spaces and programmes
- Tools for facilitating meaningful play without over-directing outcomes.
- Inspiration for balancing experimentation and risk within cultural organisations.
- Opportunities to reflect on the role of play in learning, wellbeing and intergenerational connection.
- Space to exchange ideas, challenges and experiences with peers from across the sector
This free CPD is a part of A New Direction's Cultural Sector Masterclass series for creative learning professionals to reflect upon and strengthen your practice. This session is only available online and won't be recorded.
Find out more: www.anewdirection.org.uk/training-cpd/cultural-sector-masterclasses
