New Partnership Announcement: Toy Diplomacy + City People

Toy Diplomacy is delighted to share news of its new partnership with the placemaking cultural think tank, City People. 

Together, these two creative powerhouses will work to implement an Arts, Play and Discovery strategy across the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (SCHN). Harnessing the power of play, the union will create a sense of collective wellbeing for patients and families, hospital staff, researchers, and volunteers across the network.

This unique approach will amplify children’s voices in capital development by using art, creativity and play to document, share and grow through lived experience. Most importantly, it will help alleviate some of the inevitable stressors encountered by young people and their families within a hospital setting.

“We are excited to partner with City People and bring our combined expertise to this fantastic endeavour,” says Toy Diplomacy Co-Founder and spokesperson, Lisa Barbagallo.

“We will combine our creative expertise and sense of fun with the strategic insight needed to reimagine the care-giving environment and social setting at both The Children’s Hospital in Westmead, and Randwick’s Sydney Children’s Hospital.”

The partnership will position play and creativity as drivers that inspire people to connect with each other and their environment.  Art and play can create a sense of welcome and provide comfort, respite, and ritual within an otherwise confronting setting.

Formed in 2020, Toy Diplomacy is a consultative play-based company with a presence in both Sydney and Melbourne. Using play as a driver, the company’s philosophy is to use play and creativity as catalysts for recovery, preparedness, social change, empowerment, and resilience

With expertise that expands children's programming, festival delivery, digital engagement and creative learning, Toy Diplomacy provides respectful and creative child-based consultation to represent children's needs while creating a vision for the future.