3 February to 30 April 2017

Child’s Play brings together an exhibition of photographs, a symposium and a book by Mark Neville, an artist who works at the intersection of art and documentary. Renowned for his socially focused projects, often based upon research by expert sociologists, this new project aims to raise awareness and generate debate around the complex nature of child’s play, and to advocate for improved provision for this universal right, as identified by the UN in the 2013 General Comment on Article 31 (the Convention on the Rights of the Child).

Neville presents a series of images of children at play in diverse environments around the world. Immersing himself in communities from Port Glasgow to North London, and in the war zones of Afghanistan and Ukraine, the artist has captured beautiful moments of free, spontaneous play.

Neville’s work challenges the romantic ideal of play with the reality of children’s lives, which is often harsher and more complex. We imagine we understand play – it’s a release from social and physical constraints or the intense engagement of imaginative pretense – and we instinctively know it is important for a healthy and happy childhood. Yet it is a notoriously difficult concept to define, and we often overlook its more subversive and aggressive elements – the importance of free, autonomous play for children in asserting power and expressing their identities.

Child’s Play runs at the Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ from 3 February to 30 April 2017. Open  Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday 11:00 to 17:00. Admission £10.25 adults/£7.50 concessions; free for children Foundling Friends.