This book presents qualitative research narratives on childrens engagement and learning in play and arts experiences. Using The Artground Singapore - a registered arts charity that offers interactive visual art spaces for children - as a site of study, the book also offers reflective and practical insights into the professional development and incubation of art practitioners dedicated to the creation and implementation of works for young audiences. With reference to other such purpose-built arts spaces specifically dedicated to the engagement and learning of young audiences through play and varied arts experiences, such as The Ark in Dublin and ArtPlay in Melbourne, the authors show how these spaces are also dedicated to the development and creation of new quality works for young audiences through various professional development programmes. The Artground Singapore was developed along similar lines of interest, and provides a dedicated arts space for children and their caretakers to explore, play and create together through its interactive visual arts play space, as well as arts programmes that include music, theatre and dance, amongst others. Sharing critical insights into the aesthetical, logistical, and management aspects of providing a dedicated arts space for children, this book will be of interest to arts practitioners, child educators, and cultural studies scholars interested in dance, drama and music performance and pedagogy.

Chee-Hoo Lum is an Associate Professor of music education with the Visual& Performing Arts Academic Group at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is the Coordinator of the NIE Centre for Arts Research in Education (CARE). Chee-Hoo's research interests include examining issues towards identity, cultural diversity and multiculturalism, technology and globalization in arts education; children's musical cultures; creativity and improvisation; elementary music methods. Chee-Hoo has published three edited books: 1) Contextualized Practices in Arts Education: An International Dialogue on Singapore; 2) Musical Childhoods of Asia and The Pacific; 3) Arts Education and Cultural Diversity: Policies, Research, Practices and Critical Perspectives, three co-authored books: 1) Teaching Living Legends: Professional Development and Lessons for the 21st Century Music Educator; 2) Semionauts of Tradition: Music, Culture and Identity in Contemporary Singapore; 3) World Music Pedagogy: School-Community Intersections, school textbooks, academic book chapters, refereed journal articles and made numerous conference presentations at local and international settings.

Jennifer Wong is Lecturer of drama with the Visual& Performing Arts Academic Group at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She coordinates the Drama programme in the department and is also a member of the NIE Centre for Arts Research in Education (CARE). Jennifer started her career as a secondary school teacher before joining the Singapore Polytechnic to develop and launch the Diploma in Applied Drama and Psychology. Jennifer's research interests include applied theatre, theatre/drama education, child and youth development and arts education for marginalized children and youth.

Introduction.- Chapter 1. The Artground: A Curious Place to Be.- Part I: Creation and Play within the Interactive Visual Arts Play Space.- Chapter 2. Co-Creating the Visual Arts Play Space: The Curious Journey of Hullabaloo and Wild Rumpus.- Chapter 3. Designing for Play in the Visual Arts Play Space: Perspectives from Contemporary Playgrounds.- Chapter 4. Playing in the Interactive Visual Arts Play Space.- Chapter 5. Playing in Hullabaloo: A Qualitative Investigation of Flow Experiences.- Part II: Professional Development of Artists at The Artground.- Chapter 6. Donch Play Play! Incubating Works for Young Audiences in Singapore.- Chapter 7. Emergent Pedagogies, Supporting Strategies, and Long-term Implications.- Part III: Looking Ahead.- Chapter 8. Regulars at The Artground.- Chapter 9. Commentaries.