Head out for a fun smartphone character hunt around Sheffield city centre

The characters have been designed by Sheffield-based character design studio TADO.

Adults and children can go out with a smartphone and find AR characters at these places:- Fred Aldous in Fitzalan Square

- Site Gallery, Brown Street

- Showroom Cinema, Paternoster Row

- Motoré Coffee Cart, Howard Street

- Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate

- The Great Gatsby, Division Street

- Steam Yard Café, Division Street

- Sheffield Cathedral, Church Street

- Gloam Gallery, Arundel Street

- Weston Park Museum

Head to Site Gallery for Playground from July 1-11.

Children and families are welcome to play with interactive games and explore some great digital tech for kids.

This year’s exhibition will feature TADO and Sheffield artist Kisha Bradley, who has teamed up with Wybourn School to produce a collaborative Augmented Reality (AR) project for the exhibition made entirely by children.

A spokeswoman for the event said: “Playground has invited some of the world’s most innovative artists, developers and companies specialising in creative and interactive play to show their cutting-edge projects.

“Come into the gallery to make some noise, enjoy yourselves and have some fun. Playground is aimed at 5-to-12-year-olds, however everyone is welcome to visit during the gallery’s opening hours and it is FREE.

Prior booking is essential at https://www.cmcplayground.com/.

Children with sensory requirements can also visit during Quiet Hour sessions on July 3 and 10 from 11am to noon.

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Sheffield-based Darren Chouings, curator of Playground, said: “This year’s Playground theme is based on the question, “What If?”. Children and families are invited to come and celebrate imagination and become inspired by cutting-edge artwork and digital experiences.

"Children will be empowered to imagine, investigate and create art themselves and will be fully immersed in a world that focuses on and celebrates them as creators, artists and innovators.”

Kathy Loizou, co-founder and director of The Children’s Media Conference, said: “We’re delighted to be returning to the Site Gallery in July and are very much looking forward to welcoming children and families to this year’s exhibition.

"With such an impressive line-up of renowned artists and designers on board who work across many different digital media, it’s going to be fantastic seeing their visions come to life as they take inspiration from our theme of unlimited possibility - “What If?”

The Children’s Media Conference will run virtually from July 5-9 this year. As Tracy Beaker celebrates 30 years in print and 20 years on screen, the book series’ beloved author Dame Jacqueline Wilson and TV series star Dani Harmer will come together for this year’s Creative Keynote session on July 7 to discuss evolving characters, fan generations and their own creative friendship.

Additionally, comedian, actor, screenwriter and children’s author Rosie Jones will headline CMC’s Inclusivity Now video strand, which offers practical guides to combating unconscious bias and improving access, inclusivity and diversity both on screen and in the workplace.

In her video titled Disability is not a Character Type, Rosie will share her experience of writing authentic disabled characters, what to do, and tropes to look out for.

The video will be one of four CMC is launching on its YouTube channel from June 7-10to offer delegates a preview.

For more information and registration, visit www.thechildrensmediaconference.com

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