Play, Creativity and Wellbeing Project
The Play, Creativity and Wellbeing Project (PCWP) is an award-winning, multi-million-dollar research project dedicated to improving people and place outcomes in Canberra. We mobilise our local creative sector in partnership with ACT government, industry and community to create playful environments and events that contribute to vibrancy and enhance wellbeing.
Our research informs policy and investment in:
- Play spaces
- Green spaces
- Urban spaces
- Activations, events and festivals
- Community hubs
- City planning
Our projects give voices to Canberra’s community, generate activities that foster participation, and provide places where people can gather and play.
Our world-leading Play Symposium brings together a mix of academics and practitioners in design, placemaking, digital innovation, and arts for cultural transformation to innovate our thinking about our places and our communities, and to create new networks and novel collaborations.
The objectives of the Play, Creativity and Wellbeing Project are:
- To make Canberra a better place by contributing to the development and proliferation of playful environments across the lifespan;
- To investigate sites of play as a form of cultural practice and examine the impact of play on players and their environments;
- To identify and explore the conditions of play that elicit creative and collaborative engagement;
- To test creative methodologies and develop interdisciplinary and cross-sector experiments that innovate thinking and practice about people and place in the ACT
- To research, apply and disseminate knowledge about play as a mechanism for wellbeing in real-world contexts
City Precinct Place Management Team (2022–2025)
Chief Investigators: Associate Professor Cathy Hope, Roslyn Brown, Dist. Professor Jen Webb and Dr Denise Thwaites
Funder: Dionysus Cultural Development
Ginninderry Living Lab Research Framework (2022–2023)
Chief Investigators: Dr Bethaney Turner, Professor Barbara Norman, Dr Cathy Hope, Dr Vahri Mckenzie, Dr Kate Bishop (UNSW), Associate Professor Gavin Smith (ANU)
Funder: Riverview Projects
Partners: University of New South Wales, Australian
ACT Creative Industries Research (2021–2023)
Funder: ACT Government & University of Canberra
Ginninderry Living Lab: Green, Open and Play Space
Chief Investigators: Cathy Hope, Denise Thwaites and Fanke Peng
Funder: Riverview Projects
The aim of this project is to co-develop with stakeholders and community a Phase 1 suite of open, green and play spaces that are diverse, unique, sustainable, accessible and that encourages optimal physical, recreational and social activity and play across the lifespan. In 2020, we identified with the community the role and potential of ‘The Link’ play space and produced a report with recommendations for this space. We also undertook an audit of the new Neighbourhood Play Space 1 to inform a 2021 intervention, and an interdisciplinary Professional Practice student team collaborated with Ginninderry staff and play space designers to produce a unique play element for Neighbourhood Play Space 2.
Dairy Road: Terrestrial Urbanism - Creative Work (2022)
Chief Investigator: Associate Professor Cathy Hope
Partners: Molonglo Group
Intergenerational Play Space Design (2022)
Chief Investigator: Associate Professor Cathy Hope
Partners: Ginninderry/Riverview Development, Redbox Design
Surface Urban Art Festival (4–6 March 2022)
Chief Investigators: Associate Professor Cathy Hope
Partners: Transport Canberra and City Services
Creative Recovery and Resilience Forum (2022)
Forum Producer: Kiri Morcombe
Writer in Residence: Simone Penkethman
Partners: ACT Government, artsACT's Creative Recovery and Resilience Program, Regional Arts Fund
Website: https://creativeact.org.au/forum/
Creative Recovery and Resilience Residences (2022)
Emerging Creative Producer: Zora/Linyi Pang
Artists in Residence: Zhi Cham, Melanie Lane, Miriam Slater, Kirsten Wehner
Partners: ArtsACT & Belconnen Arts Centre
Intergenerational Pen Pal Service (2021-2022)
The Intergenerational Pen Pal Pilot Project was a creative cross-disciplinary project that addressed the critical issues of social isolation and mental health for older Canberrans during and after COVID lockdown by developing sustainable and meaningful relationships, and helping young people improve their literacy skills through letter writing with pen pals from Ainslie Primary School. The pilot project included 20 older Canberrans connected with 20 children and their families in Years 1/ 2.
UC Investigators: Dr Cathy Hope and Dr Fanke Peng
Funding and Partners: Office of Seniors and Veterans, Northside Community Service, Ainslie Primary School, Council on the Ageing
ACT Play Space Strategy (2021)
Dr Cathy Hope partnered with Transport Canberra and City Services to co-author the ACT Play Space Strategy, drawing on her significant engagement with the ACT community to identify aspirations for play spaces in the ACT.
UC Investigator: Dr Cathy Hope
Funding and Partners: Transport Canberra and City Service
Five Whole of Suburb Play Reviews – Strategic Community Engagement Consultancy (2020)
A Report was commissioned by Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) to outline the community engagement strategies undertaken by four design consultant teams between February and July 2019 for the Better Suburbs five whole of suburb play reviews.
UC Investigator: Dr Cathy Hope
Funding: Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS), ACT Government
Social Art Park Belconnen (2020)
Investigators: Dr Cathy Hope and Dr Sylvia Alston
Funding: Belconnen Community Services and Wellspring Environmental Arts & Design
This report was commissioned by Belconnen Community Services (BCS) and Wellspring Environmental Arts and Design to provide an evaluation of the impact of the Social Art Park as part of ArtsACT’s community outreach funding initiative. The ‘Social Art Park project built on BCS’s history of community engagement in the arts for personal change and is part of the organisation’s long-term strategy to empower individuals as community members through expression and participation. The project involved local residents, external partners and the wider community to demonstrate the transformative power of arts engagement
Social Art Park Evaluation Report (PDF 3.6MB)
Haig Park Experiments (2019)
UC Investigators: Dr Cathy Hope (Lead), Associate Professor Bethaney Turner, Dr Kate Holland, Dr Denise Thwaites, Professor Jen Webb and Professor Michael Jasper
Funding: Canberra Renewal Authority, ACT Government
Partners: Tait Network, Ainslie & Gorman Arts Centres, Dionysus Movemen
Streetwise Silver Sprayers (2019)
Streetwise was a project that sought to provide older Canberrans with the opportunity to learn street art skills from younger artists, and deliver works that transformed the public realm. Twenty people participated in this project and formed the ‘Silver Sprayers’, delivering works in Woden, Haig Park and Narrabundah Playing Fields.
UC Investigator: Dr Cathy Hope
Funding: Transport Canberra and City Services funded and delivered the project in partnership with Dr Cathy Hope.
See them in action at Woden Bus Interchange and read about the project.
Canberra Nature Play Space Study (2018)
The Canberra Nature Play Space Study was commissioned by Transport Canberra and City Services, ACT Government, to better inform the planning and design of two nature play sites – Glebe Park, Canberra and Eddison Park, Woden – as identified by the Better Suburbs Play Space Forum.
This Study involved the collection and analysis of user attitudinal and usage data from four nature play spaces in Canberra within the context of the literature on nature play. These four nature play spaces are:
- Finn Street Park, O’Connor
- Telopea Park Nature Play, Barton
- Giralang Nature Playground, Giralang
- Nature Playground, Tuggeranong Town Park
UC Investigator: Dr Cathy Hope
Funding: Transport Canberra and City Services, ACT Government
Canberra Destination Play Space Study (2018)
The Canberra Destination Playground Study is a comprehensive audit of 8 destination play spaces in the ACT and a city-wide survey that captures community aspirations for ACT play spaces. The Study informed ACT Government’s Better Suburbs Play Space initiative and
underpins the ACT Play Space Strategy. The Report was commissioned by the City Renewal Authority.
UC Investigator: Dr Cathy Hope
Funding: City Renewal Authority, ACT Government
Report: PLAY: Canberra Destination Playgrounds Study (PDF 6.3MB)
City to the Lake Urban Activation Study (2017)
This study, commissioned by the City Renewal Authority, seeks to contribute to the development of a vital public realm in Canberra through international exemplars of playful urban activation. It highlights examples of urban play that can contribute to the realization of the five place principles of the (2015) ACT Government Strategic Urban Design Framework – connected; vibrant; responsive; diverse; green.
UC Investigator: Dr Cathy Hope
Funding: ACT Government
Report: Canberra Urban Activation Study (PDF 15.7MB)
Goulburn Play and Health Forum
On July 10 2019 in the glorious city of Goulburn the Play, Creativity and Wellbeing Project in the CCCR presented a line-up of speakers whose work in regional place-making, creativity, the arts and health inspired us to think differently about the many possibilities for enriching regional environments and improving community wellbeing.
We also showcased some of the fantastic and impactful work in Goulburn and hear from the local legends who are making it happen.
The programme (attached) included:
Councillor Bob Kirk: Mayor of Goulburn
Bridge to Sing Disability Choir (+ ukes!)
Dr Kylie Bourne: Major Research Projects, Regional Australia Institute
Jeremy Smith: Director Community, Emerging and Experimental Arts, Australia Council for the Arts
Sarah Nash: Director, Plunge Cultural Festival, Clarence Valley
Sarah Robin: Coordinator of the Healthy Towns Initiative and Program Coordinator, North Coast Primary Health Network
Carolyn Ardler: Coordinator Maclean Healthy Towns Initiative
Kane Sparks: (award winning) Youth Coordinator, Swan Hill Council, Victoria
The event is sponsored by the Southern NSW Local Health District and supported by Southern Tableland Arts.
Designing a framework for engaging non-traditional segments in physical activity in natural environments: a pilot project with older persons 65+ at three destination nature sites in Canberra
This ACT Health Promotion project involves the development and trial of an evidence-based, transferable and scalable framework for engaging statistically less active segments of the ACT population in the daily required physical activity in natural environments.
Funding: ACT Health
Partners: Active Canberra, Council on the Ageing ACT, National Arboretum Canberra, Lanyon Homestead, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
Chief Investigator: Cathy Hope
Other Investigators: Bethaney Turner (UC) , Daniela Castro de Jong, Tom Bevitt (UC)
Evaluation Suite of Research Tools for Activations in Canberra City
This project aims to provide the City Renewal Authority (CRA) with a suite of 5 informed, transferable, scalable and incentivised research tools to evaluate activations in the city and to engage community in a continuous dialogue that assists the CRA in co-constructing a more vibrant city with both activators (artists, community groups, local business etc) and the community, and in meaningful ways.
Funding: City Renewal Authority
Chief Investigator: Cathy Hope
Other Investigators: Bethaney Turner (UC); Glen Fuller (UC)
Peak Stuff Art Installation: Alinga Street Bridge Exhibition
The Alinga Street Bridge Exhibition Series is a proposed play-themed series of installations (the title of the exhibition is currently under development) to be co-curated by Art Not Apart and the Play Activation Network, as part of an applied research project managed by the Play Creativity and Wellbeing Project, Centre for Creative and Cultural Research, University of Canberra
Funding: City Activation Team, City Renewal Authority ACT Government
Investigator: Cathy Hope and Bethaney Turner
City to the Lake Playspace Study
This project informs the thinking and design of playspaces that will form part of Canberra’s urban renewal sites. Key to current international urban renewal strategies is the activation of sites through the integration of fixed and transient play elements (Stevens, 2007; Stôger, 2016). Within this context, designated play spaces – as public sites for gathering and for play in its various forms – can contribute in significant ways to urban activation, and to the development of a healthy, vibrant, green and liveable city more broadly. Play spaces are vital for urban environments, acting as counterpoints and complements to the commercial imperatives that dominate the built environment. This project provides an international benchmark study of playspaces in urban environments, and an audit framework for Canberra’s destination playgrounds to identify needs and opportunities for Canberra playspace design.
Funding: Land Development Agency, ACT Government
Chief Investigator: Cathy Hope
Investigators: Bethaney Turner, Carlos Montana Hoyos, Glen Fuller, Erin Hinton
Evaluation Report: Card Castle, Enlighten 2018 – Museum of Australian Democracy
Funding: Museum of Australian Democracy
Consultant: Cathy Hope
West Belconnen Community Garden and Transitions Project
The Play Creativity and Wellbeing Project at the University of Canberra will develop, deliver and evaluate a targeted urban agriculture initiative that supports health and wellbeing and contribute to the building of a resilient, socially just and environmentally sustainable food system.
Funding: ACT Health/Alcohol and Drug Foundation
Consultants: Bethaney Turner, Cathy Hope
Partners: Belconnen Community Service, Canberra City Care, Canberra City Farm