RELIGION AND PLAY: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Centre for the Study of Play and Recreation, School of Education

University of Greenwich

Knowledge Transfer event with the AHRC project

Building on History: the Church in London”

Friday March 11th, 2011, 9.30-4.30 p.m., Queen Anne 063, Maritime Campus

While religious organisations can be perceived as having a killjoy mentality which discourages play and entertainment, certain types of theology have emphasised the place of play in worship and spirituality. This symposium, held in association with the AHRC-funded project, “Building on History: the Church in London” will explore the potential for play in worship and religious institutions, highlighting issues relating to gender, age, class and ethnicity. We also invite short contributions relating to world and local religions and Christian denominations as part of the participants’ session.

9.45 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

Religion, Play and the Family

10 a.m. Lucy Underwood (University of Cambridge)

“Catechesis, Socialisation and Play in a Seventeenth Century Household: The 'Children's Exercises' in the Blundell family papers”

10.30 a.m. Dr Midori Yamaguchi (Daito Bunka University,Japan)

From the Vicarage to the Stage; Clerical Families and Parish Entertainments in the Nineteenth Century”

11.00-11.30 a.m. Coffee and tea

Organised Play and Recreation

11.30. a.m.-12 p.m. Dr Sophie Heywood (University of Reading)

“Children saved by children: the French Holy Childhood Association”

12 -12.30 p.m. Dr Mary Clare Martin,(University of Greenwich)

“Roman Catholic Girl Guides in Sussex, 1912-29: Origins, Ideology, Practice”

12.30-1.00 p.m. Dr Deborah Gaitskell (University of London)

“Moralizing Leisure Time: British Women Missionaries among African children in Johannesburg between the wars”

Lunch 1.00p.m.-2.00 p.m.

2.00 p.m.-3.00 p.m.

Church, chapel and play in London

Dr Mary Clare Martin (University of Greenwich)

The Rev William Wilson, play, and the infant school movement, 1822-48”

Dr Anna Davin, (University of London)

Happy Evenings, Wholesome Play: teaching through play in poor neighbourhoods in London, c.1870-1920”

Dr Keith Cranwell (University of Greenwich)

“Play, playgrounds and the churches”

3.00-4.00 p.m. Participants’ session

“Religion and play, past, present, and future”

This will focus on links between religion and play in a wide range of contexts, and productive ways of developing these. Please notify the organiser, Dr Mary Clare Martin, , if you would like to contribute to this session

4.00-4.30 p.m. Tea and coffee

ALL WELCOME

The symposium is free of charge, but to book a place, please e-mail Dr Sheryl Clark ..