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Our History

Playtrain was founded as a project of the National Playing Fields Association in 1981, and steered to independent charitable status in 1988. Throughout these 20 years the organisation has maintained an unwavering commitment to children and young people’s rights and, in particular, the right to play, and to be involved in cultural life and the arts.
 
Over the years Playtrain has developed and grown steadily, never losing sight of its original aims. It expanded the range of training work undertaken, to become recognised as a leading independent playwork training agency.  As it developed Playtrain became a leading force in implementing equal opportunities in playwork.  It explored the creative potential (and problems) of computers, video and other new technology in children’s play, long before other playwork agencies started to use them. It undertook innovative research and development projects on issues of children and creativity. It extended the boundaries of training adults in creative skills and developing play and creative arts projects with community groups.

Playtrain broke new ground in children and young people’s arts and cultural expression by organising the Article 31 conference in 1993. Play practitioners from around the country attended this conference to promote Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which states children and young people have a right to play and leisure and to take part in cultural life and the arts.

Since that conference, Local Authorities and Voluntary organisations, both in play and the arts, nationally, have adopted Article 31 as their guiding principle. It is largely thanks to Playtrain’s work that the provisions of Article 31 are now known and understood by thousands in the field of playwork, culture and the arts.  One of Playtrain’s major contributions in the UK has been a firm commitment to challenging discrimination and injustice, and promoting genuine equality of opportunity, particularly in the areas of anti-racist and anti-sexist creative play and arts practice.

Playtrain is currently delivering a range of innovative creative programmes to address inequalities of opportunity and to champion the voice of underrepresented and vulnerable groups of children and young people. Over the past two years Playtrain has been working with Birmingham Children’s Hospital to deliver a diverse arts programme for young mental health service users resulting in a series of public art exhibitions.  Playtrain has also enabled groups of disabled children and young people from across the city to access key cultural and heritage venues whilst developing their own arts practice in music, visual arts, public art and animation.