An inter-disciplinary conference on philosophical aspects of play
9-10 April 2013
University of Gloucestershire, Oxstalls Campus, Gloucester, GL2 9HW
 
"Philosophy at play?"
Play, players, and being at, in or out of play, have been concepts for philosophical debate in the ancient, modern and contemporary eras. The significance of play within ethical, existential and metaphysical philosophies is well-established, yet rarely are the names or work of key thinkers evident in policy or practitioner discussions about play.
 
The event aims to build disciplinary and paradigmatic bridges between scholars of philosophy and scholars of play, particularly children’s play.
 
We have received an excellent selection of over 40 proposals for papers to be presented at the conference, from practitioners and scholars from Scandinavia, the USA, Colombia, Germany, France and England. Further details of confirmed speakers and a draft conference timetable are available on the conference website at: http://insight.glos.ac.uk/PhilosophyatPlay  
 
Keynote speakers
Daniel Dombrowski
Professor of Philosophy, Seattle University, USA
Joint presentation to the BPSA and Philosophy at Play conferences
 
Mihai Spariosu
Distinguished Research Professor, University of Georgia, USA
"Play and liminality in intercultural learning"
 
Wendy Russell, Emily Ryall & Malcolm MacLean
University of Gloucestershire
Keynote panel on themes arising from the collection Philosophy of Play (Routledge, 2013).
 
Chris Bateman
Games Researcher & Lecturer, University of Bolton
"A Disavowal of Games"
 
 
Conference booking information and fees
Fees for bookings made before 28 February are:
 
£120 for the 2 days of Philosophy at Play, 9-10 April [book here] or for concessions* at £75, book here
 
£120 for the two days of The British Philosophy of Sport Association annual conference, 8-9 April [book here] or for concessions* at £75, book here (to come)
 
£150 for all three days, 8-10 April [book here]
 
If you would rather not book using the online store then please complete a booking form (downloadable from the conference webpage).
 
Additionally you may wish to book a place at the three-course conference dinner on 9 April, cost £30 [book here].
 
* The concessionary rate of £75 is available for all full-time students; University of Gloucestershire staff and students; and those on incomes less than £17000 per annum. Please contact us in advance with details of your status, in order to obtain a code to use when completing your booking online; or provide necessary information on the booking form. Unfortunately we are not able to offer any bursaries or any other financial assistance with conference, travel or accommodation costs.
 
After 28 February, the cost for attending Philosophy at Play will be £170, so book early!
 
E-conference
For those unable to attend in person, we are pleased to be able to offer live online access to the keynote presentations and a selection of other presentations, via the Adobe Connect web conferencing platform. The fee for access to the "e-conference" is £50 [book here]. The programme for the e-conference will be made available soon.
 
Travel and accommodation
The nearest railway station is Gloucester, situated in the city centre. The campus is served by the Stagecoach bus service 94/94U, which connects Gloucester and Cheltenham.
Directions to the conference venue (Oxstalls Campus) can be found here: http://www.glos.ac.uk/travel/Pages/oxstalls.aspx, or please contact us for advice on travel arrangements.
Car parking is available at the campus, at a cost of £1 per day.
Recommended accommodation for conference delegates is at the Travelodge Gloucester Hotel http://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/395/Gloucester-hotel.
We are arranging a special price for accommodation of the Travelodge: please book through us to get this reduction.
Gloucester and nearby Cheltenham have a range of other possible hotels for delegates to use. For further information, use a web search or visit: http://www.thecityofgloucester.co.uk/ or http://www.visitcheltenham.com/.
 
Lunches and refreshments
The conference fee includes a buffet lunch on each day. Refreshments will be provided regularly throughout the conference. We are happy to accommodate particular dietary requirements; please ensure you give details of these when you book.
 
Social media links
The conference has its own twitter presence @philosophyplay and is supported by a Facebook event page where you can connect with the organisers and see who is planning to attend!
 
Furthermore, and inspired by Nigel Warburton’s "Very Little History of Philosophy" http://virtualphilosopher.com/2012/10/a-very-very-short-history-of-philosophy.html, we thought we'd borrow it for Philosophy at Play... we are asking for summaries of playful philosophers in 140 characters or less (on twitter, include the tag #philplayinatweet) by the end of February. The best ones will go into the conference programme, so get thinking!
 
 
Contact us
For all enquiries about the conference, please email us at [log in to unmask] or telephone +44 (0)1242 71 4601
http://insight.glos.ac.uk/PhilosophyatPlay
 
We look forward very much to seeing you in Gloucester in April.
The Philosophy at Play Team
Telephone: 01242 71 4601
Web: insight.glos.ac.uk/philosophyatplay
Email: [log in to unmask]