Digital Playground Q&A
Introducing Digital Playground
We sat down with Playground Lead Artist Daniel Naddafy to explore what inspired Digital Playground.
What is Digital Playground?
Digital Playground is a series of films, podcasts of high-quality creativity that families can explore together at home as well as an opportunity to find out more about the work of Playground.
What is the inspiration behind Digital Playground?
Playground has had a long term ambition to develop online content. The inspiration for much of the content for this series of Digital Playground came from Out of the Box – a free and creative sensory box that we created to encourage families to discover sensory objects which make them curious and brings them pleasure. It’s designed to be used by children and parents/carers together and when we shared it, it got a lot of interest from all over the world, so we wanted to make it even bigger and more accessible, so Digital Playground is an interpretation of Out of the Box.
What can families expect from Digital Playground?
Surprises and the unexpected!
I hope families will feel inspired and creative and that they will discover new things about themselves, what they can do and what they're capable of. And hopefully they will start to explore their world, even more so, whether they're sniffing it, tasting it, looking at it, moving in it or touching it. We really want everyone to explore their surroundings a lot more and feel empowered to do this in a more creative way.
"I hope families will feel inspired and creative and that they will discover new things about themselves, what they can do and what they're capable of."
Playground Lead Artist, Daniel Naddafy
Could you tell us a bit more about the podcasts and films you created with families at Wyvern School and Multi Agency Service Hubs?
These films and podcasts are part of the series exploring the work Playground artists have been doing with children, parents, teachers and support staff in Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) settings. These can also be environments where families may need additional support and it’s important for us at Playground that we share the incredible work and creativity of Playground and provide opportunities for co-creation with Playground families.
The films and podcasts are a fascinating and moving account of the impact this work has on parents/carers and their children, offering an insight into the role that artists have in building understanding, confidence and a sense of belonging.
What has been your experience of creating Digital Playground?
It's been a wonderful experience and a fun and fulfilling challenge and that's because I've worked with the inspiring Playground team .
Do you have any highlights so far from creating this series of work?
One of my highlights was when we were shooting ‘Look’ and were on top of the LV21 Light Ship in Gravesend on probably the windiest day possible. It was a highlight, and I knew that the shots were going to be beautiful and when I saw them, it was totally worth it.
Visit the Digital Playground page to explore more.
With thanks to Kent Family Hubs for funding Digital Playground.
