A Playable City is described as one where people, hospitality and openness are key. They enable individuals to work together more easily in communities, take collective action more cohesively and produce significantly more creative and optimistic activities. Bristol, coined as a Playable City, is at the forefront of this movement that puts people and play at the heart of the future city.
As well as creating a water-slide down one of its main high streets, and closing streets for children to play out, Bristol recently hosted the UK’s first ‘Hot Tub Cinema’ event. The evening encouraged perfect strangers to meet and share a movie while sitting together in an outdoor hot tub. These images are an attempt to explore the little moments and relationships that occur during this event, a playful ‘human response to the coldness and anonymity of the urban environment’ (Guardian). Little reflections, moments, details of the human form, awkward glances lit by the light from a classic film. Brits may have a reputation for prudishness, but based on this evening, we seem to be developing a more ‘Scandinavian’ approach to sharing our intimate space with others.