Problem: Since 1995, primary school children in the UK have lost a total of 45 minutes of their daily break time which equates to approximately 2 minutes per year or 2 seconds per week. With the dominant system of schooling in the UK rife with overcomplicated curriculums and increased safeguarding responsibilities for teachers, cuts in playtimes are being justified to meet these increased demands. Furthermore, in lower-class areas with a higher percentage of students on free school meals, the total length of time allocated for play is significantly lower than in upper-class areas.
Insight: As opportunities for play are reduced, children risk missing out on play's key social, physical and cognitive benefits on child development. Unfair allocation of play based on demographics perpetuates the idea that those in certain demographics are less entitled to play and that those in poorer areas are inherently worse behaved and less educated.
Solution: Hijack the playground experience to communicate these problems to parents, educators, legislators and beyond.
DysFUNction is a participatory installation, functioning as a playground for children while simultaneously communicating to older audiences, the detrimental effects of play deprivation and the implications of continued reductions in playtime within UK primary schools.
Adopting a critical design methodology, DysFUNction symbolically illustrates the issues surrounding the decline of play in UK primary schools. Rather than offering a solution, it disrupts traditional playground norms by hijacking familiar equipment to provoke reflection and debate. Grounded in reality with blueprint designs that could be constructed, DysFUNction balances functionality for children's enjoyment with a darker, thought-provoking message for adults, using key statistics and theories to shape its spatial dimensions and design.
