"Step by Step" is an exploratory project for children focusing on the seven senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, balance, and proprioception) and builds upon the Easter workshop which you can read more about HERE. Through collages, drawings, and modeling, participants will co-create a creative and fun playground. We have asked Marie and Armelle some questions about the project:

Why did you develop "Step by Step," and what do you think the ferieskole can contribute?

We developed the workshop while discussing how children engage with architecture. The significance of playgrounds in children's lives is evident, and we were inspired by the exhibition "How the universe works" at Kunsthall Oslo in 2019. Playgrounds are primarily created for play but can also be educational and therapeutic. We hope that the ferieskole provides a space for children to create playful architecture by imagining different ways of moving in space, reflecting on how to use their senses in design, and ultimately feeling empowered as spatial actors. "Step by Step" is about bringing children together to build a playful space and showing that architecture is a tool that everyone can learn.

What does the project mean to you?

It has been an opportunity to bring an idea to reality and explore what a collective work using architectural elements can produce. A week-long workshop is the perfect timeframe for experimentation, and since it is new for us, we hope to discover new ways of constructing space. It is also a challenge for us: Biblo Tøyen is an established venue with many facilities, and we hope to find new ways to use the space and practice it. How can we incorporate typical senses found on an outdoor playground, such as balance and movement, within a library context?

You can read more about the project in Arkitektnytt , where journalist Torbjørn Tumyr Nilsen has interviewed JAM Collective and Biblo Tøyen.

JAM Collective is an open and locally based platform in Oslo that provides creative support and self-empowerment. Through events and workshops, they actively engage in the production, creation, and circulation of resources and facilities to support non-linear creative learning and experiences for children and adults. Follow JAM on Instagram.

Armelle Breuil is a dedicated architect, feminist, and environmental activist. In 2020, she started her own architecture firm, ACT, with a focus on bioclimatic systems, low-tech solutions, and sustainable materials. She is one of the founders of JAM.

Marie Payan is an Oslo-based designer/visual artist/printer working across digital and analog media. In 2020, she founded oonda - a risograph printing and self-publishing workshop. Marie is also one of the founders of JAM.

Biblo Tøyen is a library full of books, stories, and experiences just for you, aged between 10 and 15. Read more.

ROM Ung is a dissemination program aimed at enhancing children and youth's knowledge of architecture and the significance of place and urban development in relation to culture, nature, landscape, and climate. Our desire to strengthen dissemination for children and young people is closely linked to elevating the discussion and proposing solutions for enhanced representation within architecture, art, and public spaces. The program is generously supported by the DNB Savings Bank Foundation and the Norwegian Arts Council. Read more.