THE CHILDRENS PROJECT SYRIA

A Day in the Life of Childrens City: a vision of the future

Overview This paper imagines the picture of a days activities in Childrens City. Morning 0800 The cleaners have finished cleaning the offices, and are now working in the exhibition galleries and public areas. Their supervisor is with them, checking the quality of their work; the Centres director is very keen on service standards, and will walk the floor herself in an hours time, checking that all is well. An electrician is replacing some light bulbs, and two technicians are busy servicing one of the computer-based exhibits. A goods delivery arrives at the Centres vehicle entry gate, which is kept closed at this time. Security staff open the gates and the driver pulls up at the security point before heading for the loading bay to drop his cargo. Office staff start to arrive. They enter by the staff entrance beside the security point, show their staff passes and collect their office keys. Invigilators (who supervise the exhibition galleries) meet for their daily briefing in the main exhibition hall. Hassana, Senior Invigilator Our role is to look after and help visitors. We are encouraged to think of them as guests. We are all very proud of what we do here.

0945

0950

Invigilators carry out their daily morning gallery check, logging any missing items, public hazards or maintenance requirements. Public opening time. The front doors are opened Mohamed, 10 We started very early in the morning. I liked the special bus, it was very clean. I was very excited to visit Childrens City, because it is fun. We learned about water and how it works and the bugs that live in it we could see them with microscopes. Some people dont have water to drink and some other people waste it. I painted a poster to say dont waste water. I fell asleep on the bus going back.
Doc Ref: PLA/BUI/0014/RCH

1000

The first school group of the day arrives, 65 children aged 10 and 11 in one of the Centres two well-known, brightly-coloured buses. The buses allow the Centre to bring in visitors from a wide catchment, and these children have been travelling for almost two hours. The group enters by the special schools entrance, and hurries to put their coats and packed lunches

Childrens Project Programme Office

Page 1 of 7

Date of issue: 19/07/2011 07:24

THE CHILDRENS PROJECT SYRIA

into lockers and use the toilets. Then they are welcomed by one of the education staff, who explains what they will be doing today a project on water and climate. They will work in groups of 10-15, and they are given a work pack which they will use as they complete the project here in the Centre and later back at their school. The groups set off into the exhibition galleries. 1030 Two more school groups arrive. One is studying energy and pollution today, the other space and time.

A small party of VIPs from Europe arrives to see the director and some of her senior staff. Their cars bring them to the main public entrance and they are welcomed there by the director, who has been waiting in the entrance lobby. Guest passes are given to the party, who are taken to the conference room upstairs for a short presentation, before walking through the galleries to see the activity. The first school group gathers together in the Immersion studio. Working in pairs at touchscreen computer terminals, they play a 20minute electronic simulation game. In it, they are put in charge of Syrias fresh water, and have to decide how it should best be shared to cope with the countrys needs. Each choice will have implications for health, nature, business, even survival. It is not easy to make the right decision, they learn; we should take care of our water resources. Todays mothers group arrives. Groups of young mothers, whose children are now old enough to visit the Centre, are encouraged to attend once a month. These informal, mainly social visits familiarise them with the Centre and its activities, and reassure them that their children will be well looked after if they come with a school group. Today the mothers group is meeting in the

Jorge, MEP We were very impressed by what we saw. This centre is a model for developing young peoples awareness, self-respect and creativity. Ahmad, facilitator These sessions are fun. The children all like computer games, and they learn very fast this way. What we can do easily with these Immersion programs is explore a wide range of scenarios, so the kids can discover what the implications are of the choices they make. Zaina, 26 I have three young children. I want them to learn and have opportunities but I start to worry when they know so much more than me about computers. I
Doc Ref: PLA/BUI/0014/RCH

1100

1130

Childrens Project Programme Office

Page 2 of 7

Date of issue: 19/07/2011 07:24

THE CHILDRENS PROJECT SYRIA

digital workshop. There they will be shown how parents can prevent their children accessing unsuitable internet sites while using the web for their schoolwork. The first school group has returned to the education workrooms and is busy designing and painting posters to promote water conservation. The caf has been steadily filling through the morning, as visitors to the park and Childrens City stop for a hot or cool drink and a snack. Tables are set up outside, and groups of University students often gather here between classes. Cups and plates in the caf all feature mini-facts about nutrition and diet. All glass bottles used are recycled Our school group is in the shop buying small mementoes of their visit. The shop stocks a wide range of products and books relevant to the subject matter of Children's City. There is a good selection of products made from recycled materials. The shop manager aims to source supplies locally if possible, but there is an international flavour to what is on offer. Goods stocked in the shop have a reputation for high quality, and as stocked at Childrens City has become known as a seal of approval. Childrens City closes to the public at 1300 every day and re-opens at 1730. Some backstage facilities remain open, but the main public galleries and education facilities are closed. The caf and the amphitheatre remain open to the public. Our school group is now outside, enjoying their packed lunches in the open air before leaving on the bus. Beside Childrens City is the amphitheatre, a pleasant shaded place to sit during the day. The Big Screen (a large multiscreen on one face of the building) is featuring a natural history programme. On mini-screens the children can watch live web broadcasts from sites across the world. And a giant statistics came here because there are other mothers like me and we can all learn some essential things together.

1200

1230

1330

Doc Ref: PLA/BUI/0014/RCH

Childrens Project Programme Office Page 3 of 7 Date of issue: 19/07/2011 07:24

THE CHILDRENS PROJECT SYRIA

board is giving them continuous updates on world population, ozone depletion, automobile production, rainforest depletion and much, much more. 1400 At the loading bay, the last items are being loaded onto the Outreach lorry, in preparation for a new national tour. The Outreach programme goes to all parts of Syria, and provides young people who cannot reach Damascus easily with some of the exciting activities and exhibits they would experience in Childrens City. The lorry carries a large tented exhibition structure, which is assembled quickly at each site. The vehicle also has a powerful generator to provide power, and an airconditioning unit so that the tour can be held in almost any weather. Inside the lorry is also a workshop for exhibit maintenance, rest spaces for staff, and a communications office. The lorry, together with one of the centres 4WD vehicles, will leave at 1700 en route for Palmyra, its first destination. A team of six will travel with it three presenter/facilitators, two driver/mechanics and one coordinator. 1630 The television group arrives at the staff entrance. A team of boys and girls aged 13 to 16, work daily with volunteer media professionals and Childrens City staff to make a 30-minute television programme about science and society once a week. The programme is broadcast on SyriaTV and syndicated to other Arabic stations. Childrens City has programme-making equipment and studio facilities, and each weekly programme mixes reportage, film clips, vox pop interviews and studio discussions, where children quiz the experts. Today the team are getting ready for a studio discussion to be filmed later in the evening. Each has a specific role to play floor manager, cameraman, editing desk, presenter and the next two hours will be given over to preparation and rehearsal for the debate. The studio wall is glazed, and visitors watch the team going through its preparations.

Ghazal, 15 Im Floor Manager, so I make sure everyone is where they should be, and knows what to do, and the set and equipment is here and working. This is good experience for me, because I would like to work in television. And working as part of a team is great.

Doc Ref: PLA/BUI/0014/RCH

Childrens Project Programme Office Page 4 of 7 Date of issue: 19/07/2011 07:24

THE CHILDRENS PROJECT SYRIA

1730 Childrens City re-opens to the public. Children of all ages are arriving. Some are with a parent, others have come as groups of friends. Many of the children have their avatar card with them. This electronic dog-tag holds a digital alter ego for the child, which visits all the exhibits with them. When they slip their card into a slot beside an interactive exhibit, their digital alter ego appears, enters the exhibit itself and becomes part of its story. So a child might investigate diet by seeing what would happen if its avatar could eat nothing but chocolate. Each avatar is unique, is created by the child itself, is the same age and gender as its owner, and grows and develops with them. Avatars have to be looked after they can fall ill or die. They provide advice, try things out, communicate with other avatars, and ask questions. Theyre like a best friend you can keep in your pocket. Avatars can interact with one another and collaborate. Through their avatars, children can enter competitions, form groups and try out careers. Older avatars can advise younger ones. Avatars regularly misbehaving can be deleted temporarily or permanently. The card also records what children do on their visit, and how many times they have come to the Centre. This helps to develop a better understanding of how exhibits are used, and enables suggestions to be made for new things to try on subsequent visits. The audience for the television studio discussion is entering the studio. The theatre holds 80 people for televised events, less than its usual 120 capacity to allow for camera positioning. The discussion panellists are in the green room, being made up again by young members of the television group for the cameras. The programme director is talking with them about the structure of the discussion and the programme. Doors close on the television studio, and the floor manager calls for quiet. She explains what will be happening, how the discussion will be held, and checks that those asking the main questions are seated where they should be. The panellists take their seats, and the presenter/ moderator begins the discussion. Other visitors are enjoying a range of activities in the galleries: Young children are watching a demonstration involving giant bubbles
Doc Ref: PLA/BUI/0014/RCH
Childrens Project Programme Office Page 5 of 7 Date of issue: 19/07/2011 07:24

Imad, 14 My e-buddy is better at sports than me, and he thinks I should take more exercise. Flash has got lots of ideas and helps me find out things. Im going to Childrens City this weekend with my friends to send all our ebuddies into the future

1830

Ali, panel expert Ive done two of these televised discussions already, and theyre hard work. The children ask searching questions and dont let you get away with unclear answers

1900

1930

THE CHILDRENS PROJECT SYRIA

The Immersion Studio is hosting an interactive workshop on energy production In the new technology gallery, a team from Sony are showing visitors their latest walking robot A special exhibition is challenging visitors with the concept of alien life on other planets In the Light gallery, children are experimenting with mirrors, prisms and optical effects and illusions An airline pilot is explaining the cockpit controls of Childrens Citys jet plane to a group of visitors

2000

The caf-restaurant is packed with people. As many of the public areas are provided with a free wireless network, this has become a popular place to bring a laptop and email friends worldwide. The restaurant, though, is also winning a reputation for imaginative new ways with traditional Syrian dishes. A free musical concert begins in the amphitheatre. The musicians have chosen some special moving images to be projected on the giant screen behind the stage. These informal free concerts are known as cushion concerts, as the audience can rent (cheaply) a cushion to sit on or just bring their own. The amphitheatres full seating is stored under the stage, and brought out for more formal ticketed events. The first-aid point has been in use. A small child has fallen in a gallery and sustained a cut to the head. All invigilator staff are trained in basic first-aid, and the wound is soon treated. The concert ends, and cushions are returned. The first closure announcements are made on the public address system. Childrens Citys exhibition galleries close for the day. The invigilators check the public spaces and usher the last visitors to the doors. The visitor tally is made 2550 people have visited today. The security system is switched to night mode, and staff drop their security tags and keys into the control room before leaving for home themselves. Shaza This is a great place to spend the evening whoever you are. The park is open, there are concerts or events to attend, and lots of people to meet.

2030

2100

2200

2300

Doc Ref: PLA/BUI/0014/RCH

Childrens Project Programme Office Page 6 of 7 Date of issue: 19/07/2011 07:24

THE CHILDRENS PROJECT SYRIA

In the control room the night staff survey the CCTV monitor screens. The giant screen glows in the night. The caf continues to serve its midnight menu. Some of the concert musicians have gathered there and are chatting to friends

Doc Ref: PLA/BUI/0014/RCH

Childrens Project Programme Office Page 7 of 7 Date of issue: 19/07/2011 07:24