Let Us Play - outdoor exhibition

For the last two years General Public have been delving into the secret history of Birmingham's adventure playground movement. Let Us Play has involved the collection and collation of an exciting new archive of material to capture the Birmingham play movement from the 1960s to the present day. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project explores three lost or ‘ghost’ adventure playground sites that emerged in the post-war period (Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook & Handsworth), the 1980s play movement within the city and one contemporary adventure playground site (Meriden, Chelmsley Wood).

Two new personal archives of material relating to the adventure playground movement in Birmingham were discovered. Former playworkers Geoff Gaisford and Dave Swingle kept photographic and written material that offers fascinating new perspectives on the history of play within the city.

This outdoor exhibition is focused on the presentation of these archives. Significantly, the exhibition occurs on the site of the old Malvern Street adventure playground in Balsall Heath.

General Public worked with primary schools in close proximity to three of the playground sites (Ark Tindal Balsall Heath, Christchurch Sparkbrook, St Annes Chelmsley Wood). Pupils undertook oral history training and conducted interviews with people connected to the playgrounds to support the generation of 18 oral histories that showcase the impact of these adventure playgrounds on people’s lives. QR codes in the exhibition take your smart phone to audio clips of the interviews.

The General Public website features all of the oral history interviews, material from the personal archives of Geoff Gaisford & Dave Swingle & films from the Media Archive of Central England.

Following its run in Balsall Heath, the Let Us Play exhibition will then go on display at Meriden Adventure Playground from 28th July - 31st August.

Image from Bolton Road play centre in Small Heath, 1976 © Dave Swingle generalpublic.org.uk/project/let-us-play