Two graffitied red storage containers sit prominently in the heart of Place de la République, the epicenter of protests in Paris. Covered in art and color, featuring a variety of posters, some political and others not, they stand out against the backdrop of the moving square. Myself and two other student journalists from Charlotte, NC, had come to witness a protest in this city renowned for its demonstrations, but instead, we stumbled upon this intriguing set up.
With curious eyes and what I can imagine as confused American expressions, we were approached by David Sepel, a game librarian.
We asked David about the purpose of the storage containers, and he enthusiastically explained, “It’s called “Leard of the Roo,” a free outdoor ‘ludotheque’ – a toy library in English terms.
It’s a project by the city of Paris that has existed since 2013 and has been managed by the association “At the Address of the Game” since 2015. This outdoor game library is open to the public free of charge; anyone can come without any restrictions. There’s no need to pay, register, or show any documents; you just come and play.
David’s explanation revealed a hidden gem in the heart of Paris – a space dedicated to the simple yet profound joy of play, accessible to everyone regardless of background or circumstance.
“As adults, we often focus solely on productivity, forgetting the joy of discovery, creativity, and sharing with others.
Society typically sees games as something for children, a necessity for them, a way to learn, grow, and communicate. But we forget about this when we become adults, thinking we should only produce and forget about the importance of discovery, creativity, imagination, and sharing with others. Video games, for instance, allow for remote interaction, but face-to-face play is essential too. It’s crucial not to forget that, said Sepel.
Loneliness in a big city: How to combat it
After visiting the oldest theater in Paris, Cinèma du Panthèon and watching a classic french film named “Amelie” it summed up loneliness in a city full of people.
Amèlie like most of us imagines life magically–living a life full of solidarity, love and friendships. As she grows and faces adversity she struggles with love and friendships and finds herself in the bustling city of Paris with its charm and vibrant streets, is a paradox—a bustling metropolis yet harboring pockets of solitude.
The City of Paris is trying to combat this issue. The open-air toy library was initiated after renovating Place de la République. They consulted with residents to understand what they wanted from the renovated square, and the response was clear: a friendly space where people could gather and interact. Thus, the idea for this play space was born, aiming to provide Parisians with a communal area to meet and play.
Place de la République: Cultural gathering oasis for Parisians
In the heart of Place de la République, is home to a historical Parisian protest square.
What happens is that Place de la République is well known for demonstrations. Most of the manifestations in Paris usually start or end here in this square. So, every weekend, there are always different types of demonstrations and various groups that come to protest here. They often put their posters in the public space where the game library is and there is always graffiti.
Oscar Remoissenet, a Parisian student at ESSCA School of Business described the protest hub as a place full of social gatherings and a way for Parisians to get together and fight for what they believe in.
“Everyone has different ideas about France but you have to fight for your ideas. It’s apart of our culture to protest,” said Remoissenet.
Protests in Paris can be crazy, Remoissenet described, they are seen as a cultural gathering, with music and a way to express yourself and for Parisians to find something to fight for. Eliminating the loneliness factor in a mega city.
The graffiti and street art on the outdoor library containers can be seen as part of the culture, but needs to also be respected, said Sepel.
“For example, we need to maintain the red color because it represents the space; it’s a way for people to recognize it, to know we are here. So when they come and paint over everything, sometimes Parisians create very nice art that fits well with what we do, and sometimes it’s just scribbles that take away our identity. Then, there’s the issue of political or religious posters that have no relation to what we do and disrupt the space.”
Sepel and other game librarians spoke with the city to make the space more permanent, considering how well it has worked throughout the years and welcoming over 100,000 people annually.
Other successful projects have sprung from this, like “Alidomu,” which involves mobile containers in different squares of Paris, staying for three weeks in each place as free and accessible ludotheques. These projects are improving the gaming experience in public spaces.
Antonio Laurent is the manager of the outdoor gaming library and has seen its demographic change over time. “In the early years, we saw bankers leaving their offices nearby, coming to play with the homeless who lived just next door, and children from the Romani community playing with other kids. It really was something that united everyone in Paris.” Said Laurent. We also have adults that come to play, but at first, they come alone and they didn’t have anyone to play with but then they found others to share with. A community has formed among these people. This is part of what we love: fostering a philosophy of free play and encouraging encounters around games.
We have a lot of people that come here regularly for years, said Sepel. For example we have a mother who has been coming with her daughter for over 5 years and when she arrived her daughter was still small, but found her best friend here and they gave been playing together for 5 years. They meet in this space to remember a little of the memory. This is the child’s special place
Passion in Games: Turned to a career
When the renovations of Place de la République expanded the area, the city’s idea was to give some public space back to the people. It was proposed to create a spot where people could play and enjoy.. The idea emerged to work with games, which are already a part of French culture. It’s growing more and more worldwide as well.
So, it was proposed, and there was an association at the time that started the project, but it wasn’t our association. It started to become a bit more restrictive because documentation was required to come, so not everyone could come and play. Initially, it was only during the summer. Later, when our association took over the project, it became more open and accessible to everyone. The project did well, and we were asked to open year-round. And so, it continued like that.
Sepel is originally from Argentina, where he finished his studies in biotechnology but came to Paris to pursue a doctorate. He came to Paris in the middle of the pandemic and to his surprise he wasn’t able to continue on his normal academic track, but stumbled upon this project.
“I had been working with games for about seven years because I really enjoyed it, but it was just for passion, not for money. When I found the association, Ludomouv’ – À l’Adresse du Jeu I discovered that I could make a living from games.
It was a career path Sepel never considered but it seemed fantastic–It was what he wanted to do in Argentina, so he was able to start working here and got more involved. Sepel has been working with the association since 2020, and was able to impact his own community back home.
“When I returned to Argentina, I created the first game club in the north of the country, we were able to welcome 3,000 people who came from all over the country to play. After I returned to Paris, the association offered me a promotion to take charge of this space. Now I am the person responsible for the free outdoor ludothque, the largest in France.”
The space is designed for families and young children specifically those aged 3-12 which is the target group. However, this year Sepel has seen a lot of diversity within it’s visitors. This year Sepel has noticed an increase in babies compared to other years with nannies or families bringing children aged 0 to 3. They also have a significant number of children aged 3-12, while teenagers come less frequently. Many adults visit regularly because they have a group of regulars who come to play traditional games like checkers and chess. This group has increased the number of adult men visiting the outdoor library.
Play without Boundaries
I’d like to invite everyone to come and play. This is my passion, and I get immense joy from playing and meeting wonderful people through games. While video games also have their place, playing face-to-face with others is crucial. This direct human interaction is something we should not forget.
The open-air toy library at Place de la République offers a unique solution to combat loneliness in a big city, turning a protest hub into an oasis for play and community where everyone is welcome.
Palmer Magri
Managing Editor
Nico Gomez
Reporter
Abby Craver
Reporter
Queens University News Service
