National Playwork Conference to take place in March 2026

The 23rd National Playwork Conference will take place in Eastbourne from 3 to 4 March 2026.

Described as the UK’s largest gathering of play professionals, the event features a comprehensive educational programme.

The 2026 edition will feature nine “tracks”, with each featuring a number of sessions. The tracks are: ● Play ● Playwork: Back to Basics ● Play in the Digital World ● Children’s Rights ● Inclusivity and Equity ● Anarchy ● Playwork Advanced Thinking ● Play in the Urban Environment ● Play for Itself

Meynell Walter, the driving force behind the National Playwork Conference, said: “The event is a chance for the sector to come together, to share our knowledge and our thinking, to learn from each other and develop our understandings around what we do – and to be reminded of the vast and wonderful community we are a part of.

“This year’s tracks include ‘Play’, which will look at the more complex aspects of play – including anthropology, psychology, sociology and philosophy – and another on children’s rights, which is a bigger conversation than just the right to play.”

The conference will also include the Annual Playwork Awards ceremony, on 3 March.