Claystation

Freud suggested “The creative writer [designer] does the same as the child at play. He creates a world of fantasy which he takes very seriously – that is, which he invests with large amounts of emotion.”

Claystation was designed as an exploration into the value of play at previously ‘static’ or ‘non-participatory’ exhibitions. The creators drew upon their experience running creativity and innovation workshops for education and industry, coupled with theories of play (particularly the work of Freud, Winnicot, Piaget, Klein), and immersive design techniques. In order to promote creativity, Claystation adopted a series of guidelines, which drew on educational models for children such as the Rudolf Steiner pedagogical methodology. These were not rigid prescriptive laws, but rather aimed to enable a creative environment for designedly play. The Claystation concept is a form of research in itself, given that it generates new material every time it is staged. So far it has been used to generate a number of responses including: a free-flowing animated film; designs for industrial products and a large-scale architectural response to a particular area of Central London. Staging these events has enabled the designers to refine the concept and generate new research into the relationship between play, creativity and intuitive haptic exploration.

Claystation turns the author/viewer relationship at exhibition events on its head by inviting these same visitors to model clay in response to others’ work within carefully devised guidelines. This process is filmed by a static stop-motion camera, from which an animated film is constructed afterwards.

Claystation has so far provided the opportunity for more than 1,000 people from all ages and walks of live to contribute creative problem-solving, narrative and architectural responses to carefully structured briefs.