Art on your door step

Exhibition: Games People Play

Exhibition: 6 April-30 September. Admission free

Exhibition launch: Good Friday 6 April, 2-4pm. All welcome

2.30pm – Introduction to the exhibition with Hilary Bracegirdle, Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for the South West and Adrian Seville, historian of printed board games. Refreshments.

Games hold a mirror to civilization; they build bonds, trust and strengthen social relationships. For the Cultural Olympiad, CCANW is exploring – through a range of exhibitions and activities that are participatory and fun – what games can tell us about ‘human nature’; and how a deeper understanding of the advantages of cooperation can help us all to address the needs of the planet at this time.

Indoors, the exhibitions are presented in two parts. The first (April-September) shows a selection of remarkable early board games – some of which may be played – which were intended as guides to moral improvement or general knowledge, war games devised by Guy Debord and H.G. Wells, and documentation of unusual local games, past and present.

An area of the gallery is reserved for visitors to try out wooden board games and to borrow outdoor games equipment which are also available for purchase.

Related Events

As part of our 2012/13 Games People Play programme:

Twilight Teachers' Workshop

Wednesday 18 April, 5-7pm

£10. Booking essential. Includes light buffet

Take an informative tour of CCANW's unique exhibition examining the appeal and cultural importance of board games. Learn about CCANW-led workshops for schools groups, which link the exhibition programme to the Olympic Values. More information can be found on the '2012 Key Stage 1 and 2 workshops' page.

Learning at CCANW

CCANW organises year-round gallery talks, workshops, events and activities in its building and the surrounding forest for children and adults, school and community groups. These relate to the changing programme of exhibitions other projects.

We offer free 20 minute talks for groups if booked at least a day in advance.

Workshop sessions are offered for a fee. Please follow this link to access information about group visits and workshop fees.

CCANW is open Tuesday – Sunday and all Bank Holidays, 10am – 5pm, closing at 4pm between November-February. 

CCANW has an integrated programme of exhibitions, artist-led projects and educational activities that reach out, across the art forms and other disciplines, to address the urgent social, environment and scientific issues that concern us all today.