“As children we dream up fantastical ideas and stories, looking at objects questioning why things are like they are. A child can find a slightly bent branch on a woodland walk and turn it into a bow, sword, machine gun, magic wand or drawing implement. As we get older we tend to forget our old friend imagination.” Christopher Jarratt, artist and Manor Maker.
Welcome to the first digital Playground at Site Gallery, in partnership with the Children’s Media Conference. This interactive exhibition for kids features virtual reality games using Google cardboard headsets, hands-on making games, brand new apps and digital crafting. The exhibition has been designed for 5 – 12 year olds primarily, but everyone is welcome to come along.
Here is a small selection of who and what you can expect to find in the gallery:
Makey Makey GO enables you to invent on the go – and change the world – with the snap of an alligator clip, transforming everyday objects into Internet touchpads. Small enough to fit on your keychain or in your pocket, Makey Makey GO promises to inspire even more science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) projects than the original, award-winning Makey Makey – named one of Consumer Reports’ “Best Tech Toys of 2014.”
Flotilla helps you make reactive and interactive projects – a robot, digital pet, weather station, anything you can think of! Flotilla is designed to progress with you as your skills develop. You don’t need any coding skills or electronics knowledge to get started, you can simply plug and play.
Joyride by Manor Maker is a micro-manufacturing workshop based in the Manor area of Sheffield. The Manor Maker team work alongside local people to collaboratively research, design, run and make changes to their local environment, through public artworks, design pieces and events, encouraging people to play a more active role in shaping where they live and work. Running every Saturday for 3 months in 2016, Project JOYRIDE saw seven 14-19 year old’s learn how to design, build and artwork, their own Soapbox Derby Cars, using both contemporary digital manufacturing and traditional artisan skills and techniques.
For the full list of projects in the exhibition, visit the Playground website.
Opening times:
Tuesday 5 – Friday 8 July, 9.30am – 5.30pm
Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July, 11am – 5.30pm
Please note that there will be school visits in the gallery on 5 – 8 July, 9.30am – 12 noon.
School and Educators Bookings
If you’d like to bring a group you must book your trip in advance with Niki Colclough, our Young People’s Programme Manager: niki.colclough@sitegallery-staging.b-s.work
