[ONLINE] From school play spaces to children’s right to play, for Brazilian childhoods
Roni Hirsch, Erê Labs, Brazil.
School spaces are territories of ideal possibilities for children to build references about body potential and group cooperation both individually and collectively.
Erê Lab has been developing a continuous effort on collaborating with schools all over Brazil in order to present and explore multiple play equipment that provide experiences to children that rarely have this possibility considering the lack of investment in play spaces in the country. The main goal is to attend both private and public schools, always providing distinct play materials, natural local resources and contextualized design equipment.
In this workshop we will show how the work of Erê Lab in Brazilian schools is being developed through design experience and children capabilities in interacting with open spaces. By developing each project in its own pedagogical and environmental context Erê Lab has been creating new specific equipment and strategies to embrace play as a social integration experience in schools.
We will share the multiple experiences of Erê Lab in schools in different cities as well as the creation and expansion of programs that help us get closer to public territories and therefore schools and other educational institutions.
Having worked with about 40 schools so far, Erê Lab continues a close relationship with childhood policies with São Paulo 1st Childhood Program of the State Government in order to construct a public plan for free play as a ground reference for thinking and planning city spaces. Brazil is one of the countries in which wealth concentration is the most unequal (1% of the wealthiest have the same as 30% of the poorest population), and with a major young population especially in lower income communities.
About Roni Hirsch
Roni been developing play spaces in Brazil for more than five years, having a great experience in developing countries contexts, political programs in childhood development and in territory planning.
From a graduation in Fine Arts, Roni has worked with Art Direction in different fields: fashion, movies, fine arts and urban installations.
From the will to actively contribute to public space throughout social and citizenship programs, and after 20 years of professional work, Roni created Erê Lab as a social impact company and in order to focus on the right of childhood in urban contexts.
In 2015, Erê Lab won ‘Artemísia Lab First Childhood Award’, and in 2016, the ‘Mais Movimento’ Award from United Nations Development Programme.
