Games Days 2008
Saturdays 7/14/21/28 June
It is very good for kids, teens and everybody who lives in Hackney.
(Fang and Qiang)
Such an amazing activity pack. I will bring more friends next time. Please keep doing it.
(Hatice Alice)
Building on the success of 2007’s trial event, Games Days 2008 took place every Saturday in June from 2–5pm. Over 500 people took part over four sessions.
The concept for these events as an ongoing strand of Gillett Squared’s activities is to create a social space in the square as an open invitation for people to play and meet in an informal, yet stimulating environment. Games Days also provide a platform to explore the diverse cultural origins of board games and the opportunity that different forms of play can open up for intergenerational and intercultural connections. Games such as Oware (Africa), Chess (India/Persia/Southern Europe) and Go/Wéiqí (China/Japan) all have ancient origins yet these were played fluidly alongside contemporary games. Hackney-based experts Universal Board Games facilitated the first three sessions, and the final event was led by chessmasters Malena and Paul Griffiths.
This year the brief was expanded to include basketball coaching by Cory Defoe, a HCD staff member who is also an former professional player. Local ping-pong players the Young Offenders Institute also lent their table and expertise to Games Days. Diversifying the Games Days into small-scale sporting activities meant that more people wanted to take part, particularly young people aged 13 –18. There were a continuous stream of requests for the Games Days to continue and become a regular activity. The concept will continue to be developed by Gillett Squared as a model for social cohesion in public space.
Funding for the 2008 sessions was provided as part of the HCD London Development Agency supported project Dalston4London, which explores the opportunities presented by the 2012 Olympic Games for businesses and residents in Dalston.
www.Dalston4London.org.uk
www.universalboardgames.co.uk
www.theyoi.co.uk
Gillett Squared is the management group led by Hackney Co-operative Developments for arts and enterprise projects on Gillett Square.
