Summer Holiday Arts Project 

Known as ‘SHAP’, this project connected playschemes and communities with local artists and arts groups to enable children to try something new during the summer holidays. Funding was available for artists to work with children to explore their creativity within performing arts and try techniques such as batik, tie dye and screen printing to make a variety of creations including costumes, puppets and play things. 

An artist's directory was produced each year with information and contact details – (remember, this was before the internet!)  - so play projects knew what was available and could book the artists for their scheme. The importance of diversity in Playwork and creative activities was recognised and promoted through the publication of the SHAP Black Artists Directory, so playschemes were encouraged to reflect in their activities the communities they served.  

‘Making it’ Sheets 

Before the days of YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram; a common way to share creative ideas, be they crafts or games, was through the medium of a ‘making it’ sheet. Often hand drawn, with step by step instructions, they would be shared by play people at training events or via the scrap store. ‘Play News’ Nottingham Play Forums newsletter for the play community in Nottingham would often include these ideas. We have scanned a sample of these for you to download. 

In recent Covid 19 times there has been a resurgence of the ‘making it’ sheet within The Toy Library. Whilst we have not been able to deliver play sessions, we have been busy developing and delivering ‘Play Packs’ to our communities with a range of resources and making it sheets included for ideas of simple crafts and games that can be played at home during lockdown.