Nomadlab

Research how refugee children can be strengthened through play and how this translates into different play objects.

ABOUT

Nomadlab is a designresearch project that I developed as graduation project for the Master Product Design at LUCA School of Arts in Genk. In this research project I explore how refugees children can be strengthen through play. The research is translated into open source play objects. Hereby is field research crucial for the development of the project and the play objects. To understand the circumstance where this children grew up in I did research in different refugees camp (France, Greece, Turkey, Libanon) and asylum centers (Netherlands, Belgium)

WHY PLAY

Playing is crucial for the physical, social, mental, emotional and creative development of children. Children who have had the opportunity to play develop many benefits of it. They develop a universal learning ability.

By playing, children maximize their potential through the stimulation of creativity and imagination. Play promotes the fun in children's lives, which is essential for self-esteem and health. Because play promotes brain growth and development, children who are not sufficiently likely to play a reduced brain development and experience flexibility. In addition, children who have not been given the opportunity to play have an increased chance of abnormal behavior.

Play functions as the major means by which children develop intrinsic interests and competencies; learn how to make decisions, solve problems, exert self-control, and follow rules; learn to regulate their emotions; make friends and learn to get along with others as equals; and experience joy. Playing is essential for children.

REFUGEES CAMP IN CALAIS, FRANCE

To understand the situation where refugees children grow up in, I went 4 for weeks to refugees camp of Duinkirk as field research for my Master project. The circumstances where horrible and inhuman to grow up in as a child. Although the camp was officially in the hands of the government, it was dominated by smugglers. They determined who was allowed to come in the camp and what price refugees needed to pay to them. So they determined the access to humanitarian aid.

This place was meant for 500 people, but there lived over 1500 refugees in this camp and whereof about 150 were children lived in miserable circumstances.

The camp was a ticking time bomb. Rape, human trafficking, child abuse and violence were no exception. In the night of 10 april 2017 the camp was completely destroyed by a big fire.

This place was meant for 500 people, but there lived over 1500 refugees in this camp and whereof about 150 were children lived in miserable circumstances. The camp was a ticking time bomb. Rape, human trafficking, child abuse and violence were no exception. In the night of 10 april 2017 the camp was completely destroyed by a big fire.

PLAY INTERVENTION

During this field research I discovered the importance of play for this children. but also the complexity to create play opportunities in this circumstances. Because of trauma’s during the flee and before that it’s for a lot of children extreme difficult to play together and trust each other, often this regulated in flights. By creating this construction toy/tool out of waste materials we discovered that when they builded and worked together they where able to play for a long time without any fights. To create and build something they needed each others help. In the chaos of fleeing this construction toy give them the tool to build there own child-friendly space to their own desires and fantasy. They got the tools to build for their own a small space where they could feel them safe.

With Limited resources, the construction toy out of waste material offer a wide range of play possibilities that stimulate creativity, curiosity and wonder. But above all, stimulate that children build, discover and play between children of different ages and cultural backgrounds.

This picture are from the day after the big fire in the refugees camp at the temporary emergency place where we did play interventions.