Global Showcase 2026
Reimagining Learning.
Protecting Children’s Futures.
An international gathering of leading voices exploring why play is fundamental to learning, creativity and children’s futures.
Start Date
Saturday 14 November 2026
Location
K2 Conference Centre, Crawley & Atelier 21 Future School
Who Should Attend
Educators, leaders, consultants, researchers and anyone passionate about children’s futures.
Cost
One Day Showcase Only: £235 + VAT per person
Three Day Full Experience: £745 + VAT per person
Your Experience Includes
Four internationally respected keynote speakers
Contributions from the Fondazione Reggio Children Pedagogy Team
Insights from neuroscience, educational leadership and Playoneering®
Inspiring keynote presentations and thought-provoking conversations
Opportunities for reflection, discussion and professional networking
Optional exclusive two-day immersive Study Tour and Shadowing Experience
Event Overview
Join internationally recognised speakers from Fondazione Reggio Children, Inspired Children and Hayley Peacock Education, alongside one of the world’s leading education thinkers, Professor Dr Ger Graus OBE, for an inspiring one-day showcase, with the opportunity to extend your learning through an exclusive two-day immersive study tour.
Together, they will explore why play is far more than an activity – it is the foundation for learning, creativity, wellbeing and lifelong success. Drawing on international pedagogy, neuroscience, educational leadership and Playoneering®, delegates will gain fresh insights, practical inspiration and a deeper understanding of how play can transform children’s learning and development.
The Showcase will also feature contributions from the Fondazione Reggio Children Pedagogy Team and introduce the Roots to Routes Research Project as part of the five-year partnership between Fondazione Reggio Children, Hayley Peacock Education and the International Playoneering Studio.
Why Does Play Matter?
Four internationally respected speakers. Four unique perspectives. One shared purpose: exploring why play is fundamental to children’s learning, creativity and future success.
From the internationally renowned Reggio Emilia Approach and the latest insights from neuroscience, to Playoneering® and global educational leadership, our speakers bring together research, experience and innovation to inspire educators, leaders and practitioners to rethink the role of play in shaping children’s lives.
Cristian Fabbi
Director of the Fondazione Reggio Children
Cristian Fabbi is Director of Fondazione Reggio Children. He is an international Early Childhood Education expert currently working with UNICEF in North Macedonia and Turkmenistan to support the reform of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) curricula and in-service teacher training programmes. He served as President of Reggio Children Srl (2022–2025) and President of the Reggio Emilia municipal preschool system (2019–2022).
Cristian holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, and is a certified relational psychotherapist. He has extensive experience in managing early childhood education systems in the public and private sectors and has worked with UNICEF, UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education, and NGOs to strengthen early childhood education across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, supporting curriculum reform, teacher development, and quality improvement initiatives.
Ben Kingston-Hughes
Inspired Children
Ben Kingston-Hughes is an international keynote speaker, author and multi award-winning trainer. He is also the Managing Director of Inspired Children and has worked with vulnerable children across the UK for over 30 years. He has appeared on television several times working on a variety of children’s projects and his distinctive blend of humour, neuroscience and real-life practical experiences have made his training invaluable for anyone working with children. His groundbreaking book, “A Very Unusual Journey into Play.” is now available and his new book “Why Children Need Joy” was a finalist for the Nursery World Professional Book of the Year 2024 where it was awarded “Highly Commended”
“A life changing book, I can’t recommend it enough. Everyone in Early Years should read it. The author is an inspiration!” R Taylor (Verified Amazon Purchase)
Professor Dr Ger Graus OBE
Award-winning Educator, author and international speaker
Professor Dr Ger Graus is an internationally recognised education leader, speaker, and author. He was the first Global Director of Education at KidZania, founding CEO of the Children’s University, and is Professor of Practice at the University of Cumbria. Born in the Netherlands, Ger moved to the United Kingdom in 1983, where he began his teaching career, later serving as a Senior Inspector and Education Director.
Driven by his belief that “Children can only aspire to what they know exists,” Ger champions equity, creativity, innovation, and purpose in education. He serves on international education councils and advisory boards and advises universities, education organisations, school systems, and Fondazione Reggio Children, supporting education innovation worldwide. Awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to children, Ger is also the author of Through a Different Lens – Lessons from a Life in Education (Routledge, 2025).
Hayley Peacock
Founder of Playoneering®
Hayley Peacock is the creator of Playoneering® and an internationally recognised educator, speaker, founder and educational innovator. For more than 15 years, she has challenged conventional approaches to education through her pioneering blend of Reggio-inspired practice, children’s rights, enquiry-led learning and playful rigour.
As founder of Hayley Peacock Education, Little Barn Owls Forest & Farm School Nurseries and Atelier 21 Future School, Hayley has influenced educators across more than 22 countries. Through speaking, consultancy and global collaborations, she inspires educators to create learning that is relevant, meaningful and joyful while preparing children for the futures they are ready to create.
What Will I Experience?
The Playoneering® Global Showcase is more than a conference. It is an opportunity to pause, reflect and engage with some of the world’s leading voices in early childhood education, neuroscience, creativity and educational leadership.
Across an inspiring day of keynote presentations, thought-provoking conversations and practical learning experiences, you’ll explore why play is fundamental to children’s learning, wellbeing, creativity and future success.
You will leave with new perspectives, practical strategies and evidence-informed insights that will influence your thinking long after the event has ended.
Throughout the day you will:
- Hear from internationally respected leaders in early childhood education and educational leadership.
- Explore the latest thinking on why play matters for children’s learning, wellbeing and development.
- Discover practical approaches that can be adapted to your own educational setting.
- Connect with educators who share a commitment to reimagining learning.
- Leave inspired to create meaningful change for the children and communities you serve.
Extend the Experience
Exclusive Two-Day Study Tour
Continue your learning with an exclusive two-day immersive Study Tour designed to build on the ideas explored during the Playoneering® Global Showcase.
Taking place across the International Playoneering Studio, one of our Little Barn Owls Early Years Settings and Atelier 21 Future School, participants will experience Playoneering® in practice through immersive visits, studio-based professional learning and meaningful dialogue with practitioners and pedagogical leaders.
The Study Tour includes:
- Guided immersive visits across the International Playoneering Studio, one of our Little Barn Owls Early Years Settings and Atelier 21 Future School
- Shadowing experiences
- Studio-based CPD
- Professional dialogue with pedagogical leaders
- Inspiration from learning environments and pedagogical documentation
- Opportunities for reflection and collaborative enquiry
- Networking with fellow educators, leaders and researchers
Together, the Showcase and Study Tour provide a unique three-day professional learning experience, enabling delegates to connect research with practice, deepen their understanding of Playoneering® and return to their own settings inspired, informed and equipped to create meaningful change.
Who Should Attend?
The Playoneering® Global Showcase is designed for educators, leaders and professionals who believe every child deserves an education that nurtures curiosity, creativity and the freedom to thrive.
Whether you work in early childhood, primary education, leadership, teacher education, SEND, local authorities or educational consultancy, this Showcase will challenge your thinking, inspire your practice and connect you with an international community committed to protecting children’s futures.
Ideal for:
- Early Years educators and leaders
- Nursery owners and managers
- Primary teachers and school leaders
- SEND professionals
- Educational consultants
- Teacher educators
- Researchers
- Local authority leaders
- Anyone passionate about the future of childhood and education
Why Attend?
The future of education depends on the experiences we create for children today.
As childhood continues to evolve in an increasingly complex world, educators have an extraordinary opportunity, and responsibility, to create learning environments where curiosity, creativity, relationships and play are recognised as the foundations of lifelong learning.
The Playoneering® Global Showcase brings together internationally respected voices to explore one of the defining questions of modern education:
How can we protect children’s futures by reimagining learning through play?
This is more than professional learning.
It is an opportunity to challenge assumptions, discover new possibilities and become part of a growing international movement committed to creating better futures for children.
The Impact of Playoneering®
The Playoneering® Global Showcase is designed to do more than inspire for a day. It is about changing the way we think about children, learning and the role of play in shaping their futures.
Educators who experience Playoneering® consistently describe it as transformational – challenging their thinking, reigniting their passion and giving them the confidence to create meaningful change within their own settings.
School Leader
Delegate – Pocklington School, York
Delegate – Growing Places, Havant
Delegate – Wyborne School, London
Whether you are taking your first steps into Playoneering® or looking to deepen your practice, the Global Showcase offers an opportunity to be inspired, challenged and equipped with ideas that will continue to influence your thinking long after the event has ended.
Reserve Your Place
Join educators from across the UK and beyond for an inspiring international event exploring why play matters.
Choose from the one-day Playoneering® Global Showcase or enhance your experience with the full three-day Showcase and Exclusive Study Tour.
Places are limited to ensure a high-quality learning experience, so early booking is recommended.
Reserve your place today and join a growing international community reimagining learning and protecting children’s futures.
For enquiries regarding bookings, group attendance or invoices, please contact:
info@hayleypeacockeducation.co.uk
Locations
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K2 Conference Centre, Crawley
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Atelier 21 Future School
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Little Barn Owls
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International Playoneering Studio
