Australian Play Summit - Brisbane

Round 3 Summits 

with Dr Wendy Russell 

"Exploring Play and Wellbeing and the Concept of Spatial Justice". 

Brisbane - Thursday 22 October. 9.30 - 12.30pm    Venue: Griffith University, Southbank. 

About Wendy

Dr Wendy Russell is a Senior Research Fellow and an independent researcher. Her research into children’s play focuses on the politics of space, and playwork. She is a co-founder of the biennial international Philosophy at Play conference and is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Play.

Critical cartography, as developed by Wendy, treats mapping not as a way of recording places but as a way of revealing the relationships, power dynamics and material conditions that shape opportunities for play. Through creative, deliberately ‘inefficient’ mapping, storying and diagramming, Critical Cartography helps practitioners to reflect on and reimagine play spaces, supporting more equitable, playful and responsive environments. Read more…

Wendy’s research into therapeutic playwork explores how children, playworkers, materials, animals and spaces come together to create conditions of safety, joy and self-directed play within therapeutic settings. By combining creative mapping with non-linear evaluation methods, it demonstrates the value of play as a relational, process-based form of care while providing meaningful evidence of its impact beyond conventional outcome measures. Read more…

Wendy has played a leading role in developing the Play Sufficiency Duty in Wales, creating practical, relational tools that help local authorities assess and improve the conditions that enable children to play. Wendy has guided play policy and practice in Wales and promotes play sufficiency internationally. Read more…

Together, in 2026, we will chart a path forward for developing a comprehensive national agenda for play in Australia—one that recognizes children's right to play not as a luxury, but as essential to their health, wellbeing, and development.

THIS PROJECT IS AN INITIATIVE OF PLAY AUSTRALIA.

WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF DELEGATE REGISTRATION FEES IN FUNDING THIS INITIATIVE.