Email: wrussell@glos.ac.uk

Academic Profile

Wendy Russell has worked in the playwork sector in the UK for over 35 years, first as a playworker on adventure playgrounds in London, then in a number of roles including development work, research, and education and training. Her consultancy work has included designing and delivering training courses from entry to degree level, and working on a range of development, strategic, evaluation and research projects for local authorities, the private sector and local and national voluntary organisations.

Qualifications

• 1977 B.A. Hons French (Lancaster)
• 1995 M.Ed Human Relations (Nottingham)
• 2004 PGCHE, University of Gloucestershire
• 2004 Therapeutic Playwork, Level I and ll, Association of Therapeutic Playwork/Ludemos/University of Gloucestershire
• 2005 Registered for PhD (University of Gloucestershire):The Dialectics of Playwork: An Ethnographic Study of Playwork using Cultural Historical Activity Theory

Accreditation

Membership of Professional Bodies

• Higher Education Academy

Research

Research Interests:

• Children’s play and space
• Policy and politics relating to children’s play
• Playwork

Publications

Books:

Ryall, E., Russell, W. and MacLean, M. (eds) (forthcoming) The Philosophy of Play, London: Routledge

Lester, S. and Russell, W. (2008) Play for a Change: Play, Policy and Practice – A review of contemporary perspectives, London: National Children’s Bureau. Available from http://www.playengland.org.uk/resources/play-for-a-change-play,-policy-and-practice-a-review-of-contemporary-perspectives.aspx

Russell, W., Handscomb, B. and Fitzpatrick, J. (eds) (2007) Playwork Voices: In Celebration of Bob Hughes and Gordon Sturrock. London: London Centre for Playwork Education and Training

Chapters:

Russell, W. (forthcoming) Playwork as the playful production of a space where children can play: what can Lefebvre offer for a spatial and dialectical analysis of playwork? In  Ryall, E., Russell, W. and MacLean, M. (eds) (forthcoming) The Philosophy of Play, London: Routledge

Lester, S. and Russell, W. (forthcoming) Utopian visions of childhood and play in English social policy, In Parker, A. and Vinson, D. (eds) Youth Sport, Physical Activity and Play: Policy, intervention and participation, London: Routledge

Lester, S. and Russell, W. (forthcoming) Children’s Right to Play, In Brooker, L., Edwards, S. and Blaise, M. (eds) SAGE Handbook of Play and Learning in Early Childhood, London: Sage

Russell, W., Adams, C. and Young, A. (2011) Challenging Behaviour: Reframing, a playwork response, in Scott, R. and Mills, A. (eds) Everybody’s Business! A practical resource for including disabled children in play, childcare and leisure settings, London: KIDS

Russell, W. (2010) ‘Playwork’, in Bruce, T. (ed) Early Childhood: A guide for students, 2nd edition. London: Sage

Russell, W. (2008) ‘Modelling Playwork: Brawgs Continuum, dialogue and collaborative reflection’, in Brown, F. and Taylor, C. (eds) Foundations of Playwork. Buckingham: Open University Press

Russell, W. (2007) ‘The Meta-Maze: Playwork frames of reference’, in Russell, W., Handscomb, B. and Fitzpatrick, J. (eds) Playwork Voices: In Celebration of Bob Hughes and Gordon Sturrock. London: London Centre for Playwork Education and Training

Russell, W. (2005) ‘The Unnatural Art of Playwork: Brawgs Continuum, in Sturrock, G. and Else, P. (eds)Therapeutic Playwork Reader 2, Sheffield: Ludemos

Sturrock, G., Russell, W. and Else, P. (2004) Towards Ludogogy, Parts l, ll and lll. The art of being and becoming through play, in Sturrock, G. and Else, P. (eds)Therapeutic Playwork Reader 2, Sheffield: Ludemos.

Academic Refereed Journals

Russell, W. (in press) ‘I get such a feeling out of … those moments’: playwork, passion, politics and space, International Journal of Play, 1(1), p1-13.

Consultancy Reports

Lester, S., Jones, O. and Russell, W. (2011) Supporting school improvement through play: An evaluation of South Gloucestershire’s Outdoor Play and Learning Programme, London: National Children’s Bureau

Lester, S. and Russell, W. (2010) Children's right to play: An examination of the importance of play in the lives of children worldwide, The Hague: Bernard van Leer Foundation

Russell, W. (2006) Reframing Playwork: Reframing Challenging Behaviour. Nottingham: Nottingham City Council

Conference Presentations

Presentation on children’s play to conference for freetime pedagogues, Stockholm University, October 2011

Presentation on children’s play at Swedish National Civil Contingencies Agency conference on child safety, Karlstad, October 2011

Russell, W. (2011) Pyramid Playwork: four triangular analyses of playwork as the production of space where children can play, Paper presented to IPA World Conference, July 2011, Cardiff: Play Wales. Available from http://www.ipa2011.org/login/uploaded/tuesday%20papers/wendy%20russell.pdf

Paper entitled Playwork as the Playful Production of Space, at Philosophy at Play international conference, University of Gloucestershire, April 2011

April 2007-2009: Presentations on Play for a Change research at a number of conferences including Play England, Play Research Network, Nottingham Play Action Network, Cornwall County Council, Solihull MBC, National Playworkers’ Conference Eastbourne

2010-2011: Presentations on Children’s Right to Play Working Paper at Centre for Child Research (Swansea University) Play Research Development Group Seminar on ‘Play and Children’s Rights’, May 2010; International Play Association Sweden conference, Karlstad, September 2010; International Play Association international conference, Cardiff, July 2011; Play England AGM, November 2011; Nottingham Play Action Network, December 2011

2010: Facilitation of and presentation at weekend seminar organised by Sutcliffe Play on play in the public realm, Holland, September

2010: Presentation/facilitation with Stuart Lester at Play Wales seminar for Local Authority leads on implementing Welsh Assembly Government’s sufficiency measure for opportunities for play, February

2009: Presentation on play and uncertainty, Artangel conference (There’s an Artist in the Playground), London, May

2009: Presentations on planning outdoor space for play at Play England regional conference for planners, Nottingham, March; Exeter University, September

2006-2011 A number of conference presentations and seminars on the Nottingham ‘Reframing’ research on playwork with children with challenging behaviour including National Children’s Bureau Local Authority Early Years Network, Play Research Network, Nottingham City Council, Notts County Council, Stevenage Council, London Centre for Playwork Education and Training, Play Wales, Flintshire, Play Rangers conference Devon, Play Scotland, Suffolk County Council, Ealing Council, Wales Playworkers’ Forum, Nottingham Regional Society for Adults & Children with Autism; KIDS conference: Disabled Children are Everybody’s Business