A BOUNCY castle and a ball pit will be coming to a city festival to help people improve their mental health.
FeelPlay, an immersive and interactive show, will invite adults at the Brighton Festival to reconnect with the joyful, carefree and restorative power of play in order to improve mental health.
The accessible playground will feature a large bouncy castle and ball pit at Hangleton Park and has been specifically designed to help adults remember how to play.
Intended as a satire on the wellness industry, the outdoor playground questions a specific kind of mental health provision, whilst delivering a feel-good experience.
FeelPlay creator Christopher Green said: “I created FeelPlay to collectively explore difficult issues in a way that is fun, accessible and original.
“It asks if current provisions that are highly medicalised and cheap for governments to commission go far enough.
“I think we can do better than that. FeelPlay invites its visitors to get involved without putting pressure on them - it is simply a way to make connections, have fun and feel good and genuinely empowered.”
The large-scale inflatable playground will bounce its way across the UK, premiering at the Brighton Festival next month.
Bradley Hemmings, artistic director of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival - who co-commissioned the playground, said: “We always set out to offer audiences a chance to see the world anew.
"So we’re delighted to be working with Christopher Green on FeelPlay, which promises to be an uplifting and joyous antidote to the challenging times we’ve all been living through.”
Those who want to cultivate a little play in their lives from the comfort of their home can download the FeelPlay app and jump into a 30-minute audio adventure.
The playground will be open at the park in Hove on May 7 and 8 from 11am to 5pm.
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