12th - 13th April 2011
University of Gloucestershire, Park Campus, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
"Philosophy at Play" is a two-day inter-disciplinary conference focusing on philosophical aspects of play.
Many philosophers have had something to say about play, and their ideas are as diverse and contradictory as play itself. Variations operate across time (ancient, modern and postmodern), place (‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ philosophies and points in between) and discipline (epistemology, ethics, metaphysics and so on). Yet rarely are the names or work of key thinkers evident in policy or practitioner discussions about play.
This conference aims to build disciplinary and paradigmatic bridges between scholars of philosophy and scholars of play, particularly children’s play.
Keynote Speakers
We are pleased to announce that the following will be giving keynote papers at the conference:
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Prof. John Wall, Rutgers University, USA - All the World's a Stage: Childhood and the Play of Being
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Dr. Kevin Flint, Nottingham Trent University - Play as a Leading Activity in the Liminal Space of Plato’s Cave: Facing the Monstrous Arrivant in the Information Age
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Dr. Monica Vilhauer, Roanoke College, USA - The Game of Understanding: Dialogue-Play and Opening to the Other
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Prof. Randolph Feezell, Creighton College, USA - Approaches to Play and Its Significance for Sport and Life
In addition, an exciting selection of papers will be delivered including:
- Making Sense of Play’s Ambiguous Agency - Chad Carlson, Penn State University, USA
- Language at Play: Wittgenstein's and Gadamer's Approach to Language, Games and Play - Núria Sara Miras Boronat, Leipzig University, Germany
- Children, Citizenship and Movement: Entitlement or Duty? A Critique of UK Sport and Physical Activity Policy - Cathy Devine, University of Cumbria
- Playwork – from ideology to methodology? - Shelly Newstead, Institute of Education
- Towards a differential phenomenology of play - Henning Eichberg, University of Southern Denmark
The full list of accepted papers can be downloaded here.
Full abstracts are available here.
A conference timetable (latest version) can be downloaded here.
Cost
Early bird fees (if paid by 28 Feb 11) £120
Full fee £170
Concessions £75
Conference dinner £30
To book and pay online, please click here.
Refreshments and lunch
Refreshments and lunch will be provided throughout the conference. Please ensure you detail your dietary
requirements on the booking form.
Conference Dinner
A three course conference dinner will take place on the evening of Tuesday 12th April at a cost of £30. Delegates will be welcomed by the Mayor of Cheltenham and entertainment will be provided by the University of Gloucestershire’s Performing Arts students.
Travel
The nearest railway station is Cheltenham Spa. If travelling by car directions and a map can be found at http://www.glos.ac.uk/travel/Pages/park.aspx
Overnight accommodation
The University has secured a preferential rate of £57 per room per night for the 11th and 12th April with The Big Sleep Hotel, Cheltenham. To book your room at this rate please contact their sales team and quote ‘University of Gloucestershire Philosophy at Play conference’.
The Big Sleep, Wellington Street, Cheltenham. GL50 1XZ
01242 696999
sales@thebigsleephotel.com
www.thebigsleephotel.com
Details of other accommodation in Cheltenham can be found here
How to book
Please complete the attached booking form (MS Word and PDF versions available) and return it by Friday 11th March 2011, with your delegate fee to the address below. Please make cheques payable to ‘University of Gloucestershire’.
Send your completed booking form to:
Philosophy at Play
Willow Lodge
University of Gloucestershire
Oxstalls Campus
Oxstalls Lane,
Gloucester,
Glos. GL2 9HW
Tel: 01242 71 4603
Fax: 01242 71 5180
philosophyatplay@glos.ac.uk
Further Information
For further information, or if you have any questions, please email the organising group: philosophyatplay@glos.ac.uk
You can find out more at the Conference’s
Facebook page.