Home Events

Permission to Play

, –
Past
  • Free
  • Festival
A group of people in various poses on a yellow background. They are sitting, standing, running and interacting with each other on blue blocks suspended in the air.
Permission to Play, Thomas S.G. Farnetti. Source: Wellcome Collection. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

What you’ll do

Come out to play at this weekend of games, conversations and workshops exploring who gets to play, who is represented in play, and why play is so important for us all. This event is inspired by the Play Well exhibition.

All events will have step-free access and resting points will be available throughout the building. If you would like a BSL interpreter for a specific activity or outside of an event, ask at the information point on level 0.

Dates

, –
Past
, –
Past

Past events

Saturday 15 February 2020

–

  • Game
Is This Violence? Am I Too Sexy?
Viewing Room
Join Tomo Kihara to play a game where your challenge is to trick artificial intelligence into thinking that it’s seeing violence or sexiness. Between 2-3pm you’ll also have the chance to chat and reflect on how biases in machine learning models can affect our society.

Full event details

–

  • Installation
Forest Daydream
The Forum
Immerse yourself in Phoenix Perry’s installation of a forest that responds to light, then drop in to a workshop exploring how play can be used to deliver messages, especially about environmental change. This installation was created by Phoenix Perry, Fede Fasce, and Robin Baumgarten, in collaboration with MSc students from UAL's Creative Computing Institute and Adelle Lin.
  • Relaxed

–

  • Game
Metaform
Reading Room
Drop in at any time and join a group to play with giant cuboids and imagine what abstract ideas might look like physically. On the hour you can also join a group at a table to join a facilitated version of this game with cards as playful prompts.

–

  • Game
Changing Relationships to Play
Level 1 Landing
Visit one of Ludic Rooms’ popup play boxes around the building to play in the spaces between digital things and the real world. Prototype a more playable city, make an AR protest placard to playfully speak truth to power, and play games inspired by Wellcome’s collections

–

  • Game
Crip Casino
The Studio
Play with Abi Palmer’s fruit machines, which are designed to spit out surreal diagnoses or a detailed assessment of your personal pain and privilege that explores the language of wellness. Crip Casino features flashing lights and unexpected noises.

Full event details

  • Relaxed

–

  • Game
Playing Up With LADA
Ground floor Atrium
Pick up a card, grab some props and follow the instructions inspired by live art performances. Adults and kids can play these facilitated games together in this public play-in.
  • Relaxed

–

  • Workshop
Play to Win or Play to Keep on Playing
Williams Lounge
Come find out what play is to you. Hear how artist Anthea Moys changes the rules of the game in sport and reimagines winning. Then play some of her favourite games.

Full event details

–

  • Workshop
Toybox
Reading Room
Explore who gets represented by the toys in our shops at this workshop led by ToyLikeMe, a group founded in frustration at the lack of representation of disabled children. Imagine alternative playthings that better reflect our diversity.

Full event details

  • Relaxed

–

  • Discussion
The Power of Inclusive Play
Henry Wellcome Auditorium
Hear a variety of perspectives on inclusive play in this conversation curated by Touretteshero’s Jess Thom. Speakers will explore the role inclusive play has had in the politics of being visible in mainstream culture and in shaping their creative practice.

Full event details

  • Speech-to-text
  • Relaxed

–

  • Chill out
Chill-Out Room
The Studio
Any time that you want to find a space away from the programme of activities, you can come to the Chill-Out Room to relax or lie down.

Full event details

Sunday 16 February 2020

–

  • Game
Is This Violence? Am I Too Sexy?
Viewing Room
Join Tomo Kihara to play a game where your challenge is to trick artificial intelligence into thinking that it’s seeing violence or sexiness. Between 2-3pm you’ll also have the chance to chat and reflect on how biases in machine learning models can affect our society.

Full event details

–

  • Installation
Forest Daydream
The Forum
Immerse yourself in Phoenix Perry’s installation of a forest that responds to light, then drop in to a workshop exploring how play can be used to deliver messages, especially about environmental change. This installation was created by Phoenix Perry, Fede Fasce, and Robin Baumgarten, in collaboration with MSc students from UAL's Creative Computing Institute and Adelle Lin.
  • Relaxed

–

  • Game
Metaform
Reading Room
Drop in at any time and join a group to play with giant cuboids and imagine what abstract ideas might look like physically. On the hour you can also join a group at a table to join a facilitated version of this game with cards as playful prompts.

–

  • Game
Changing Relationships to Play
Level 1 Landing
Visit one of Ludic Rooms’ popup play boxes around the building to play in the spaces between digital things and the real world. Prototype a more playable city, make an AR protest placard to playfully speak truth to power, and play games inspired by Wellcome’s collections

–

  • Game
Crip Casino
The Studio
Play with Abi Palmer’s fruit machines, which are designed to spit out surreal diagnoses or a detailed assessment of your personal pain and privilege that explores the language of wellness. Crip Casino features flashing lights and unexpected noises.

Full event details

  • Relaxed

–

  • Game
Playing Up With LADA
Ground floor Atrium
Pick up a card, grab some props and follow the instructions inspired by live art performances. Adults and kids can play these facilitated games together in this public play-in.
  • Relaxed

–

  • Workshop
Play to Win or Play to Keep on Playing
Williams Lounge
Come find out what play is to you. Hear how artist Anthea Moys changes the rules of the game in sport and reimagines winning. Then play some of her favourite games.

Full event details

–

  • Workshop
Toybox
Reading Room
Explore who gets represented by the toys in our shops at this workshop led by ToyLikeMe, a group founded in frustration at the lack of representation of disabled children. Imagine alternative playthings that better reflect our diversity.

Full event details

  • Relaxed

–

  • Discussion
Black Girl Gamers
Henry Wellcome Auditorium
Hear from Jay-Ann Lopez, founder of Black Girl Gamers, who will talk about her work to promote diversity and affect change within the gaming industry.

Full event details

  • Speech-to-text
  • Relaxed

–

  • Chill out
Chill-Out Room
The Studio
Any time that you want to find a space away from the programme of activities, you can come to the Chill-Out Room to relax or lie down.

Full event details

Need to know

Location

This is an event with several different activities. Check specific sub-events for their locations.

Multi-part programme

This is a large-scale event with several different activities, which may include drop-in sessions, scheduled performances, workshops or talks. Check specific activities for details and to see if you need to book a ticket or just show up. Spaces for drop-in activities are limited and may run out if we are busy.

For more information, please visit our Accessibility page. If you have any queries about accessibility, please email us at access@wellcomecollection.org or call

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