When was the last time you took some time out and just messed around for no reason? No, not in a work-hard-play-hard kind of way, but actually played? Embraced creativity and fun for the sake of it. Probably a long time, right? The sad fact is that, as adults, with all our responsibilities and pressures of time and money, we forget the sheer joy we took in play as children. It’s that creativity, joy and playfulness that the LEGO Group want us all to rediscover with a free two day celebration this weekend championing the power of play. You can book your tickets here (in French) and here (in English) to get involved.
Descending on the heart of Paris, arguably the most iconic brand of our early years has created a smorgasbord of activities and events within the city that celebrate sport, culture and play with an immersive play experience (and, for the committed adults amongst us, some fascinating speakers too). For the Joy of Play is taking place from 29-30 October (this Saturday and Sunday) at Rue Des Francs-Bourgeois, and will see the LEGO Group launching their new LEGO® Ideas Table Football set – complete with a campaign film starring Thierry Henry and Marcus Rashford, directed by duo The Rest – with an electrifying tournament and a series of inspiring talks from football legends like Thierry Henry, Primera División club Barcelona football player Alexia Putellas, artist Wu Yué, creative director Ramdane Touhami, Pigalle founder Stéphane Ashpool, AMO Director Samir Bantal, and more.
While most of the For the Joy of Play event will take us back to the simplicity and happiness of our childhood years, the conversations held here are celebrations of how to carry that simplicity and happiness forward into our adult passions. In “The Future of Play”, for instance, legendary footballer Thierry Henry discusses the art of the beautiful game, past, present and future, with journalist Samia Benyounes. In “Play Like Champion” Alexia Putelllas, widely regarded as the world’s greatest female footballer, will discuss her personal mindset, technique, and process to offer invaluable insight into how a champion is made through play. And if football isn’t quite your thing, fear not! In “Style As A Canvas For Play” Dior Beauty’s Fanny Bourdette-Donon speaks to Pigalle founder Stéphane Ashpool about using personal style as a vehicle for playful expression, while in “The Power of Artistic Play” artist Wu Yué delves into conversation with Illustrator Aurélia Durand about the power of artistic play and playful experimentation.
But the excitement doesn’t end there. It’s the immersive aspect of the For the Joy of Play event that really calls to mind the limitless creativity of playing as a kid. Created in collaboration with AMO – the research, branding, and publication studio of the architectural practice, Office for Metropolitan Architecture – and London-based concept studio CONSUL, the space is divided into three vibrant, Fun House-esque, play-inspired zones. In The Courtyard area, there’s an opportunity to collaborate on building a LEGO mural. In The Lab, visitors can get involved with build challenges and watch some of the aforementioned live conversations from leaders of creativity and sport. And in The Arena, you can join in a table football tournament to end all others, set to live commentary the kind you and your cousins could never dream of when you played it as kids. Throughout it all there’s a soundtrack by Rinse FM, and juices (very lunchbox, very nostalgic, but more chic) from Wild & The Moon.
If you want to rediscover the power of play in Paris this weekend, you can book tickets here (French) and here (in English).