WHAT IS PLAYGROUNDING?

‘Playgrounding’ is a term coined by David Jubb, who was appointed Artistic Director of Battersea Arts Centre in 2004, working closely with architect, Steve Tompkins of Haworth Tompkins.

Over ten years ago Battersea Arts Centre created an approach to theatre called ‘Scratch’, which has now been taken on across the world by organisations such as Sydney Opera House, the Royal Court and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Playgrounding is the practice of applying the ideas of ‘Scratch’ to the architectural process, a design methodology that places artists and audiences at the centre of the architectural process.

Playgrounding develops ideas through collaboration, before testing them through a series of low cost investments. This allows for more fluidity and flexibility, giving good ideas the opportunity to mature over longer periods of research. We believe this process delivers richer, more creative results that better meets artists’ and audiences’ needs.

The idea of Playgrounding is simply about artists, staff and audiences doing what we all used to do in our playgrounds, creating flexible worlds in which anything could happen. The significance of Battersea Arts Centre as a found space in this concept is important. As David points out, often the very best games are those played in the areas of the playground that have not been especially equipped or designed – ‘the parts of the playground where we could create our own worlds.’

FROM SCRATCH TO PLAYGROUNDING

The Scratch process is based on six principles which define the ethos of Battersea Arts Centre and the flavour of the work it produces:

• TAKING RISKS is fundamental to creativity. Scratch allows artists to experiment, to change their mind, and gives them the opportunity to make mistakes, which is crucial to the creative process.
  

• IMPROVISING: Scratch allows you to set off without being sure what, where or when the end will be. It legitimises making it up as you go along.

• Scratch is ARTIST - LED. It is designed as a development process to support the growth of a project from the idea inside an artist’s head, to a full production.

• COLLABORATING: Scratch places the artist at the centre of a network of collaborative relationships which support the work (in particular with their producer and with the audience). In Scratch the artist opens their work up to feedback, drawing a wider group of people into the making process.

• TAKING TIME: It takes time to make good work. Ideas are often scratched on a number of occasions with several months in between. The time spent away from the idea can be just as important as the time working on the idea.

• LEARNING: Each time an artist returns to an idea, learning from the previous Scratch is incorporated. Scratch creates a constant ‘feedback loop’. It is an iterative development process.

We wanted to find a process for changing our building which takes account of instinct and story, accidental discovery, messiness, a search for the unknown and a love of play. In another word, theatre. 

THE TEAM

BAC Playground Projects are collaborative by nature. From the initial idea to realising the projects, we have tried to engage and empower all those involved. One key principle has been to treat everyone like an artist, like a creative contributor: whether they are artists, members of the design team, licensing officers, funders, members of our community or our Board. 

THE BAC TEAM

BAC Playground Projects have involved many different members of the Battersea Art Centre staff team since 2006. However, there have been a few key individuals that have driven the project forward. David Jubb, Artistic Director, has been at the helm of the project since its inception and continues to oversee it as Project Director. David Micklem, during his time as Joint Artistic Director (2008-2012) was also integral to its planning and delivery.

Each of the Chairs of BAC’s Board has played a key role: Nick Starr (2002-2009); Roanne Dods (2009-2011); Michael Day (2012-Current) and Chair of Battersea Arts Centre’s Capital Group Bruce Thompson (2009-Current)

During the early years of the project, the ground delivery and planning was spearheaded by Head of Space, Richard Couldrey, supported by key members of the technical and production teams as well as Capital Administrator, Tref Davies who remains on the project. With Richard’s departure in 2012, Jo Hunter, Head of Strategic Development, took on the role of Shaper of the Capital Project with Capital Project Manager, Scott MacColl coming on board in 2013. Members of the Welcome, Infrastructure and Technical project teams at Battersea Arts Centre remain vital to the delivery of the project on an ongoing basis.

This site has been put together by Miranda Marcus, with consultation from Allegra Gavin. 

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to Invent the Future of Theatre

Over the last 10 years we have opened up how theatre is made and presented by using creative processes like Scratch. Over the next 10 years we will also seek to open up what theatre and the creative process can achieve in our community. Our “THEATRE” mnemonic sets out our ambitions.

Download the full THEATRE Mnemonic

STATS

Artists who have developed work at Battersea Arts Centre include:

• Cheek by Jowl (International theatre company)
• Complicite (International theatre company)
• David Farr (Associate Director, Royal Shakespeare Company)
• Kneehigh Theatre (International Theatre company)
• Ian Rickson (ex Artistic Director, Royal Court)
• Improbable (International Theatre company)
• Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith (Comedians, The League of Gentlemen)
• Matt Lucas and David Walliams (Comedians, Little Britain)
• Harry Hill (Comedian)
• Stewart Lee (Comedian, Jerry Springer Opera)
• French and Saunders (Comedians)
• Graham Norton (Comedian and TV Chat Show host)
• Steve Coogan (Comedian, I’m Alan Partridge)
• Tom Morris (Artistic Director, Bristol Old Vic)
• Jude Kelly (Artistic Director of South Bank Centre and Chair of the Arts, Culture and Education Committee as part of London’s 2012 Olympic bid)
• (David)Mitchell and (Robert) Webb (Comedians, Peep Show)
• Paul Merton (Comedian, Have I Got News For You)
• Neil Bartlett OBE (Write and director, ex-Artistic Director at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith)
• Nigel Kennedy (violinist and BRIT Award winner)
• Patrick Marber (writer, comedian, actor The Day Today and Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge)
• DV8 (international dance company)
• Bijan Sheibani (Artistic Director of ATC, JMK winner)
• Natalie Abrahami (Joint Artistic Director of The Gate)
• Thea Sharrock (ex-Artistic Director of London's Southwark Playhouse, director)
• Toby Jones (Actor, Truman Capote, Battersea Arts Centre Patron)