Tassy Ellen Thompson
Om
Tassy Thompson er forsker ved Institutt for arkitektur og planlegging. Hun jobber med tverrfaglig arbeid for sosial transformasjon innenfor Enhance Alliance-avtalen, som NTNU er del av, i tråd med målene til New European Bauhaus.
Tassy er en erfaren designer av utendørs lekeplasser med økosystemer i fokus. Hennes designpraksis og forskning rammer inn lek for alle aldre som «kritisk infrastruktur» og grunnleggende for sunne, levedyktige, artsmangfoldige, urbane, semi-urbane og rurale økosystemer. Tassys design- og forskningspraksis tilnærmer seg lek og lekenhet for alle aldre som grunnleggende for menneskelig og mer -enn -menneskelig velvære og for levedyktige nabolag.
Med 25 års praktisk erfaring i byutvikling har Tassy vært med på å skape og lede prisbelønte, naturbaserte utendørsområder for lek og rekreasjon, samt store offentlige områder og arkitektoniske kunstverk i Storbritannia, Norge og USA. Sammen med andre har hun vært med på å grunnlegge og lede Elvelangs i Kongsberg-festivalen siden 2018, som vant City Development Award i 2023. Hennes arbeid kombinerer samskapende, deltakende design, langsiktige medvirkningsprosesser og aktiviteter, stedsspesifikk og performativ kunst og lekefokuserte landskapsarkitekturprosjekter med etiske, økologiske tilnærminger basert på posthumane og vitale materialistiske perspektiver. Hun har en sterkt interesse for metodologisk pluralisme og kritiske praksiser i teori og metodikk. Hun er fagfellevurderer for FormAkademisk.
Tassy samarbeider bredt med kolleger på tvers av sektorer, inkludert helse, planlegging, digital innovasjon, geografi, arkitektur, økologi, pedagogikk, sport og kultur. Hun sitter i redaksjonen for IPA Play Rights Journal. Tassy var medlem av den akademiske og praktiske rådgivende komitéen for International Play Association Triennial 2023 og juryen for Norsk Lyspris 2025. Tassy har undervist og holdt foredrag om design for utelek, formgivning av offentlige rom, innovasjon, samfunnsdeltakelse, håndverk, kunst og arkitektur siden 1999 i Storbritannia, USA, Norge og Danmark. Tassy har utdanning fra Glasgow School of Art (The Newbery Medal mottaker) og Ohio State University Dept of Fine Arts, og en doktorgrad fra Universitetet i Sørøst -Norge, fakultet for humaniora, idretts- og utdanningsvitenskap.
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Kompetanseord
- Arkitektur
- Arkitektur
- Byplanlegging
- Bærekraftig byutvikling
- Design
- Ekofilosofi
- Embodied knowledge
- Environmental Planning
- Kulturlandskap
- Kulturstudier
- Landskap design
- Lek
- Lek og folkehelse
- Lek og trivsel
- Lekestrategier
- Lokale landskap
- Nabolag
- Nabolag
- Naboskap
- New European Bauhaus
- New European Bauhaus
- Planning for Play
- Planning with Play
- Playful Cities
- Post Humanism
- Posthumanisme
- Postkvalitativ metodologi
- Samfunnsmedisin
- Situated Knowledges
- Smart Sustainable Cities
- Transdisiplinær forskning
- Tverrfaglig forskning
- Urban studies
- Vital Materialism
- Økosystem
Forskning
Recent activities:
Embodied Learning and Teaching Research Group (EMAL): 'We Start with the Body" - transdisciplinary research approaches to methodological pluralism in public health and urban design'. Conference presentation. Oct 2025
Lecture: 'Post Qualitative Science and Transdisciplinary Futures. How can we make better 'sense' of the world together?' University of South Eastern Norway.
Lecture: 'Post Humanism, Vital Materialism and Ethics - Vibes? - relational ethics and vibrant matter.' - University of South Eastern Norway
Lecture: 'Post Positivism and the Eco-Feminists - Witches!' University of South Eastern Norway
Research dissemination activities:
Radical Entanglements. Eindhoven 2022 (online global conference) Presentation: Unplanned works. Radical, playful entanglements towards pro-ecological urban development. In Schröder, T. W. A., Zhong, W., Banou, S., & Meneses de Sequeira, J. M. B. (Eds.) (2023). Radical Entanglements: Architectures, Societies, Environments, Politics: RAPS 2022 Eindhoven Conference: Book of Abstracts. Radical Architecture Practice for Sustainability. Eindhoven University of Technology. (p50)
Bin Norden New Nordic Childhood Conference 2023. Child-Cultures: Landscapes for play, art, and explorations Bergen May 2023. Presentation: Play heritage as cultural heritage? Broken stone fences and crumbling playhouses. https://www.hvl.no/en/research/conference/bin-norden-2023-conference/
Bin Norden New Nordic Childhood Conference 2021 Designing for Play in the New Nordic Childhood. Design Skole Kolding. Online (Covid restrictions) Presentation: When Place Comes to Matter.
StorByKonferansen 2020 Oslo. Presentation: Builders and Blueberries. Pro-ecological approaches to designing for play.
USN Forskningsdagene 2021. Forskerseminar arrangert av USN forskergruppene EMAL, ForEst, LET’s og Kunstnerisk utviklingsarbeid 29 Sept 2021. Presentation: Ecological Epistemology for an Empathetic Campus: Mutual support claims or ‘knowing neighbourhoods’.
USN Forskningsdagene 2020 Online (Covid Restrictions). Dissemination: Creation of a website Lets Do Sustainability Research and interactive Scrollytelling Map Lets Do Sustainability Research -a 'scrollytelling' digital tour!
Other:
Academic and Practitioner Advisory Panel for the International Play Association Triennial 2023.
Editorial Board Playfor the Play Rights Magazine, International Play Association
Jury Member 2025 Norwegian Architectural Lighting Prize
Co-Editor International Journal of Play Special Issue June 2025
Co-Editor Child and Youth Environments Journal Special Issue 2025
Design Research Council Bilboa 2022 Peer Reviewer. Track: Designing for Emergence – Designing for Play Lockton, Dan & Lenzi, Sara & Hekkert, Paul & Oak, Arlene & Sadaba, Juan & Lloyd, Peter. (2022). Proceedings of DRS 2022: Design Research Society International Conference, Bilbao. 10.21606/drs.2022.cv001
Programme Light Symposium 2024 - Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge
Publikasjoner
McKendrick, J.H., Thompson, T., & Alfaro-Simmonds, M.J. (2025). New Directions when Designing for Play. Children, Youth and Environments 35(2), 220-228. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/967834
McKendrick, J.H., Thompson, T., & Alfaro-Simmonds, M.J. (2025). Innovations and Traditions in Designing for Play. Children, Youth and Environments 35(2), 1-9. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/967823
McKendrick, J. H., Thompson, T., & Marko, S. (2025). Conceptualising and evidencing the impact of play on health and wellbeing. International Journal of Play, 14(2), 115–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/21594937.2025.2508644
Thompson, T., McKendrick, J. H., & Marko, S. (2025). Play for health and wellbeing: reinforcing and reinvigorating the evidence base. International Journal of Play, 14(2), 258–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/21594937.2025.2508647
Thompson, T. E. (2025). Survey By Play: Pro-ecological understandings of outdoor landscapes (Publication Number 240) [Monograph, University of South-Eastern Norway]. University of South-Eastern Norway. https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3198520
2025
-
McKendrick, John H.;
Thompson, Tassy;
Marko, Stacey.
(2025)
Conceptualising and evidencing the impact of play on health and wellbeing.
International Journal of Play
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
McKendrick, John H.;
Thompson, Tassy;
Alfaro-Simmonds, Maria Jesus.
(2025)
Innovations and Traditions in Designing for Play.
Children, Youth and Environments
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
McKendrick, John H.;
Thompson, Tassy;
Alfaro-Simmonds, Maria Jesus.
(2025)
New Directions when Designing for Play.
Children, Youth and Environments
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Thompson, Tassy;
McKendrick, John H.;
Marko, Stacey.
(2025)
Play for health and wellbeing: reinforcing and reinvigorating the evidence base.
International Journal of Play
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Tidsskriftspublikasjoner
-
McKendrick, John H.;
Thompson, Tassy;
Marko, Stacey.
(2025)
Conceptualising and evidencing the impact of play on health and wellbeing.
International Journal of Play
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
McKendrick, John H.;
Thompson, Tassy;
Alfaro-Simmonds, Maria Jesus.
(2025)
Innovations and Traditions in Designing for Play.
Children, Youth and Environments
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
McKendrick, John H.;
Thompson, Tassy;
Alfaro-Simmonds, Maria Jesus.
(2025)
New Directions when Designing for Play.
Children, Youth and Environments
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Thompson, Tassy;
McKendrick, John H.;
Marko, Stacey.
(2025)
Play for health and wellbeing: reinforcing and reinvigorating the evidence base.
International Journal of Play
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Undervisning
Teaching and supervision responsibilities at University of South-Eastern Norway. 2018-2025
MASTGD.504.1_25H Autumn 2025 Masters course in Scientific Theory and Method (Post Qualitative Science and Transdisciplinary Futures)
Body Based Practices Spring 2025. PhD Course. Role: Lecturer/Workshop Leader
LYSINT112 Autumn 2024. Introduction to Lighting Design. Role: Course Leader/Supervisor/Internal Examiner
LYSKON116 Spring 2025. Concept and Design Methods. Role: Course Leader/Supervisor/Internal Examiner
HoD 104-1 23V. Spring 2023. Foundation Studies Art & Design. Role: Lecturer/Supervisor
60MASTON-1 22. Autumn 2022 Spring 2024. Masters in Art & Design. Role: Lecturer/Supervisor
MASTGD502-1 22V. Spring 2022. Masters. Individual Aesthetic Project. Role: Lecturer/Supervisor
ARK 101- 1 V22 Spring 2022. Introduction to Architecture. Role: Lecturer/Internal Examiner
BACH 300-1 21V Spring 2021. BA (Craft and Art). Role: Lecturer
DESPRO 101 V21. Spring 2021. Product Design. Role: Lecturer
ARK 101- 1 V21 Spring 2021. Introduction to Architecture. Role: Lecturer/Internal Examiner
ARK 101-1 V20. Spring 2020 Introduksjon til Arkitekter. Role: Lecturer/Internal Examiner
BACHLYSDES. Bachelors Project Lighting Design. Role: Supervisor/Lecturer
KTREM 101/201 V21 Spring2021. Creative Expression in Wood & Metal. Role: Course Leader/Supervisor/Internal Examiner
KTREM 101 V20. Spring 2020. Creative Expression in Wood & Metal. Role: Course Leader/Supervisor/Internal Examiner
LYSKON 116 19V Spring 2019. Architectural Lighting Design. Design Concepts and Methods. Role: Course Leader/Lecturer/Supervisor/Internal Examiner
890 KUVIK1 Spring 2019. Art and Visual Communication. Role: Course Leader/Supervisor/Internal Examiner
890 KUVIK1 Autumn 2018. Art and Visual Communication. Role: Course Leader/Supervisor/Internal Examiner
Other teaching experience:
Design Skole Kolding, Kolding, Denmark Masters in Design. Designing for Play.Masters Design Camp. Spring 2018. Role: Visiting lecturer/tutor.
The Lighthouse. Scotland’s Centre for Architecture and Design, Glasgow. Scotland. UKRole: STEM Educational Workshops (Makerspace) Coordinator/facilitator/teacher. 2004-2008. Including Scottish Government Curriculum for excellence development programme - contributor. National participatory, all age, workshop programme on architecture and the built environment for schools, communities and organisation (public and private)
University of Strathclyde Summer Academy. Glasgow. Scotland. UK Role: weeklong creative learning project design and delivery for prospective university entrants. In 2005 Personal Expression in Digital Media in collaboration with Caroline Campbell and in 2006 Democracy and Public Realm with Glasgow Youth Services
Scottish Network for Able Pupils. University of Glasgow Department of Education. Diverse workshops for school students in creative processes, innovation and critical practice. 2004-6 Role: Education workshop designer and leader.
Future Learning and Teaching Project (FLaT) Scottish Government: Design of future learning environments. 2004 Role: Learning Space Designer/Contributor to two projects and publications on learning environments for Learning and Teaching Scotland (now Education Scotland).
Early career teaching: Glasgow School of Art. Sculpture and Environmental Art BA. Role: First Year Tutor. 1999-2000 Ohio State University. Department of Fine Art. Video and Performance Art BA. Role: Course leader and teacher. 1996-97 Life drawing. BA. Role: Course leader and teacher. 1997