“Spaces for Play, Spaces for Childhood”

We are delighted to extend an invitation to attend PlayBoard’s upcoming 40th Anniversary Celebration Conference -”Spaces for Play, Spaces for Childhood” which will take place on Thursday 20th November 2025 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast.

This landmark event will bring together leading voices, policymakers, practitioners and play advocates to explore how best we can secure every child’s right to play in Northern Ireland.

Play is a vital foundation for children’s wellbeing, learning and development — shaping creativity, confidence, social skills and resilience. Beyond childhood, it underpins healthier communities and more inclusive planning, education and health systems. Yet access to play remains uneven, making it essential that we collectively reimagine how our environments, policies and services support every child’s right to play.

Through a series of expert presentations and discussions – set against the backdrop of Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Right to Play) - the conference will explore approaches to delivering play sufficiency, the planning and design of playable, engaging environments, and the importance of enabling children and young people to actively shape the spaces in which they live and play.

Speakers from across academia, policy and practice will share fresh insights, lived experiences and emerging evidence to inspire action – helping us collectively to shape communities’, towns and cities that truly value and support play.

Speakers include:

• Ben Tawil and Mike Barclay (Ludicology)
• Marianne Mannello (Play Wales)
• Marguerite Hunter-Blair OBE (former CEO of Play Scotland)
• Eugene Minogue (Play England)
• Dr Michael Martin (University of Sheffield)
• Dr Naomi Lott (University of Reading)
• Dr Rachael Black (Queens University Belfast).

This key event offers an invaluable opportunity to connect with colleagues from across government, local councils, education, the community and voluntary sectors and beyond - all with a view to advancing the child’s right to play and building more child-friendly communities across Northern Ireland.

This is a must-attend event for anyone working in policy, education, local government, planning, infrastructure, community development or the play and youth work sectors.

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Host or Publisher PlayBoard NI