The Centre for the Study of Play and Recreation, University of Greenwich and the Pollock Toy Museum Trust will host an exhibit and conference of multicultural toys and have issued a Call for Proposals.
From the H-CHILDHOOD Listserv:
“Toys have existed throughout human history in a few basic formats, while children have always created their own playthings. For centuries, craftsmen have created objects for children, which were available for purchase in places such as India and China before they were in Europe. Yet despite contemporary political espousal of innovation and entrepreneurship, the range of toys for sale in mainstream consumer outlets rarely reflects the cultural diversity of 21C Britain.
Globalization is usually understood as the dominance of particular brands rather than as an opportunity for diversification and dissemination of local materials.
June 3-8th, Exhibition at the Stephen Lawrence Gallery, University of Greenwich
June 8th, Conference
Following the success of previous multi-disciplinary conferences, we invite papers and short contributions from anyone interested in this area, including academics, post-graduate students, professionals working with children, and representatives of the toy industry.
Possible topics include:
Types of toys: balls, dolls, wheeled objected, construction toys, ‘small-world’ toys
Natural objects as playthings and the games they inspire(d)
Children’s experiences of toys, either contemporary or retrospective
Manufacture of toys and toy industries
Toys as training: the relationship between toys and social needs.
Please send a short summary of your proposed topic (no more than 250 words) to Mary Clare Martin at playandrecreation@gre.ac.uk. First deadline: March 31st, 2nd deadline, April 15th”.
