Play32: An Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy for children’s play and voice
The Design Institute of Australia, as part of the Play32 Collective, will collaborate with a Queensland-based cross-sectoral coalition of Australian leaders, organisations, practitioners and academics to advocate for children’s play and voice as a sustainable legacy of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Play32 campaign for legacy investment in play and co-design with and for Australian children, as part of a healthier, more active and inclusive society, was launched at the IPA Asia Pacific Play Conference, hosted by Play Australia in Melbourne on June 26th, 2025.
Play32’s Position Paper emphasises play as a universal right that sits at the heart of children’s health, learning, creativity, connection to others and place, and their inclusive participation in civic life. To honour this right to play, its activities will extend beyond just sport alone. Play32 will advocate for opportunities to listen to children and include them in designing our democratic future, thereby leaving a legacy of wellbeing, belonging and bold ambition for the generations who follow.
The Collective aims to:
Embed play in legacy strategy, infrastructure and policy
Invest in community-led, culturally grounded, and inclusive play initiatives
Ensure co-design with children is central to all legacy projects
Strengthen the workforce across early childhood, health, education, and community sectors
Make equitable access to play a measurable and visible legacy outcome.
Other Founding Members of the Collective include (in alphabetical order) Australian Institute of Play, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY), Little Athletics Queensland, Liveworm, Play Australia, Play Matters Australia, Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership and University of Southern Queensland. DIA Founding Member, Dr Natalie Wright FDIA, is excited about the work that this Collective can achieve in the run up to Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.
“If we want to truly manifest the official Brisbane 2032 “Shine Brightest, Together” slogan, we need to facilitate opportunities for our young people to express their creativity and help shape our communities, not only through sport but also through the arts, design, technology and broader community life. This includes children in both regional and urban locations, from diverse cultural and social backgrounds and those living with a disability.”
“Through Play32, I hope we can develop child rights education tools and a sustainable, formal mechanism to enable meaningful child participation in addressing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The positive outcomes that Play32 could potentially deliver as a legacy for Australian communities are endless” she said.
Dr David Sargent FDIA from Liveworm, a 40-year old award winning work integrated learning incubator within the Queensland College of Art & Design, Griffith University (DIA Education Member), is working with his students to design and deliver the graphic design collateral for Play32. “This is a fantastic opportunity for the students to be involved in co-design activities which will contribute to the Brisbane 2032 experience, benefit children and youth from birth to age twenty-four, and ultimately help to shape Brisbane as it evolves as an Olympic city”.
An official launch event is planned for later this year in Brisbane as part of Children’s Week celebrations. The Play32 Position Paper is an open invitation to imagine what might be possible when we invest in putting children and youth at the centre of our Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy, feature their unique ideas and start early!
For more information download the Position Statement at play32.org.au or contact the collective at info@play32.org.au or Dr Natalie Wright at wrightn16102024@outlook.com