Eastlink Community TV has teamed up with a former University of British Columbia professor to produce a series of programs that asks older Sunshine Coast residents about their memories of playing as kids. The project is part of an effort to help pass that “play heritage” down to today’s youth, who are otherwise increasingly engrossed in the digital world.
“I’m really very interested in improvisation and creativity and all the things that are kind of missing from a lot of kids’ lives today,” Dr. Garfield (Gary) Pennington, of Roberts Creek, told Coast Reporter.
“I have been working to renew play heritage in communities in Canada and abroad for over half a century. In this post-modern world, this is an urgent priority.”
The 13-episode project, entitled Childhood Memories, is composed of spontaneous interviews conducted in recent months at the Sechelt Public Library and the Gibsons and District Public Library.
Hundreds of photographs
Adult participants were asked about where, what, and how they played as children. Their responses have been interwoven by Eastlink producer and editor Brittany Broderson with hundreds of photographs of children at play, most taken by Pennington over several decades.
Interviewees recall memories of simple games, full days spent in the woods or at the beach, exploring, pretending and actively engaged.
“The greatest gifts we can give the young is to share our stories with them, give them our time, and help them create environments that result in much joy and a truly playful culture,” Pennington said in an Eastlink news release.
“True play is profound in that it fosters creativity, improvisation, cooperation, and learning.”
As part of a related, ongoing project, Pennington is also collecting play recollections in an online survey to which anyone can contribute. Just Google surveymonkey.com along with “childhood memories” to participate.
The 30-minute Childhood Memories episodes are airing in frequent rotation on Eastlink cable on channel 10 and in high definition on channel 610.
