A PLAY ETHIC FOR THE CITY

PAT KANE THEPLAYETHIC.COM

LABORATORIO PARA LA CIUDAD

HOW DOES YOUR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

LINK TO PLAY, PLAYFULNESS & THE

DEVELOPMENT OF CITIES & SOCIETIES?

”

“

THE CITY SOMETIMES HAS A PLAYFUL CONVERSATION...WITH ITSELF...

A PLAY ETHIC FOR THE CITY

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS?

GUIDING NOTIONS:• play as the "influx of

mind into matter" (Huizinga)

• play as "adaptive potentiation" Sutton-Smith

• The city not just as a playground - but as "ground of play" - where play grows from, is made sustainable and draws resources from.

MY PLAY ETHIC FOR THE CITY

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS?

Four kinds of making define relationship between play & city in my life • MUSIC-MAKING • MEDIA-MAKING • MOVEMENT-MAKING• FESTIVAL-MAKING

MUSICMAKING

• Commercial musician for 30 years• Musicians play the city and the

citizens • Music culture generate venues -

new, new-old, old-new, just old. Has supports “scenius” (Eno).

• Attending gigs, citizens turn urban space dramatic, epiphany - and display taste/aesthetics

• It’s why Paris attacks so traumatic - James Brown: "the night time is the right time" - it’s when city is happiest with itself

MEDIAMAKING

• I’ve been a professional writer/journalist/editor also for 30 years

• I was one of founding editors of a Sunday national newspaper in Scotland Based in Glasgow - office is literally at the top of a hill looking down on the city

• Journalism should speak truth to power - but papers also play their cities...

• ....Develop their collective narratives, imagine their communities

MOVEMENTMAKING

• I was involved in main campaign for Scottish independence - leading cultural front

• City-at-and-in-play very important ... Music and carnival in central squares, in front of TVs stations

• Satire - "welcome to our imperial masters" (playing Darth Vader theme tune) as No politicians visited Glasgow

• Mexican parallels? Lopez Obrador's planton in Mexico City, 2006

• Mock public trials in Mexico - effigies of politicians burnt in streets, theatrical courts performed

FESTIVALMAKING

FutureFest comes every 18 months, powered by NESTA, UKs Innovation Charity • I’ve been curator since start - based in

London - Using the city to create "festivals of the future" - occupies big distinctive venues (Shoreditch, Tobacco Dock)

• Cross between TED/WIRED - Arts/performance installation - maker faire - "the best way to predict future is to invent it…or, redistribute its elements into one urban space"

• Ticket price for weekend is £80 - less than two days worth of UK minimum wage (or 2 Premier football tickets) - Trying to make future-thinking accessible to citizens

A PLAY ETHIC FOR THE CITY WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS?

GUIDING NOTIONS:• play as the "influx of mind

into matter" (Huizinga)• play as "adaptive

potentiation" Sutton-Smith• The city not just as a

playground - but as "ground of play" - where play grows from, is made sustainable

• CITY AS COMPLEX ORGANISM - & COMPLEX ORGANISMS NEED TO PLAY!

AND SOMETIMES THEY OBVIOUSLY DO...THANK YOU!

A PLAY ETHIC FOR THE CITY

PAT KANE THEPLAYETHIC.COM

LABORATORIO PARA LA CIUDAD