{"id":53419,"date":"2023-02-27T13:24:25","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T13:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.malihnog.com\/?p=53419"},"modified":"2023-03-07T08:10:14","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T08:10:14","slug":"meet-the-maker-casiana-the-soul-of-grapat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.malihnog.com\/en\/meet-the-maker-casiana-the-soul-of-grapat\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Maker: Casiana, the Soul of Grapat"},"content":{"rendered":"

MEET THE MAKER: CASIANA, THE SOUL OF GRAPAT<\/h2>

It\u2019s no secret that Grapat<\/a><\/em> holds a very special place in our hearts. A few years ago, our own playful story started with a Grapat<\/em> set: a colourful mix of peg dolls, coins and rings<\/a>. They looked very simple at first \u2013 so simple, in fact, that during Christmas, some relatives even wondered aloud if we couldn\u2019t afford some \u201cproper toys\u201d for our first-born?! But then this set turned out to be something magical: it was the very first thing our son played with again and again, and in the most surprising ways! Watching him play was like an earthquake: almost feeling the earth move every time. It made us realise how much we don\u2019t know about play, and set us on a journey to understand it more and share it with others.<\/strong><\/p>

Grapat<\/em> designs and creates toys with an incredibly deep understanding of children \u2013 something not all toymakers have. Their toys (and their concept of play!) are truly unique in today’s world. They invite children to play the same way nature does: with abundant, colourful pieces that enable exploration and creativity. <\/strong><\/p>

It\u2019s not just the toys, though, that make Grapat<\/em> one of a kind. The people behind them are also magically unique: Casiana and Jordi (the founders of Grapat<\/em>)and their whole team too, of course! At this year\u2019s Spielwarenmesse<\/a> we had the chance to meet them in person again, to exchange some real Spanish \u201cabrazos\u201d<\/em>, and to chat a bit about their passion for childhood and play. Casiana also agreed to share a bit more of their heartwarming story with you directly, which is what you can read below \u2013 hope you\u2019ll enjoy it!<\/strong><\/p>

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We believe that children build adults. So to get to know you a bit more, we wanted to ask about your childhood first: what are your most precious memories from those times, and what did you like to play with as a little girl?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

To answer this question, I need to open my heart and tell a story that\u2019s a little less happy\u2026 Unfortunately, I have hardly any memories from my childhood. I can\u2019t recall memories of the toys I had, nor moments where I was playing with friends. (I wonder what a therapist would make of this? \ud83d\ude0a). What I do remember, though, are the restrictive limits imposed on me by my environment, and the very strict rules I had to face as a child.<\/p>

Maybe as a consequence, here I am in this world: counteracting my own experiences, in a way, working hard in the service of childhood, and restlessly trying to offer a rich childhood to my own children \u2013 and all the children we can reach in the world with our work. <\/p>

Your story \u2013 the story of Grapat \u2013 how did it start? When did you know you wanted to be creating toys and making so many children happy around the world? Is it something that has a tradition in your or Jordi\u2019s family, or do you come from a different background?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Before Grapat, I was an advertising producer, mainly doing TV commercials. I also used to produce theatre plays, and Jordi used to be an art director for TV, theatre and advertising \u2013 this is actually how we also met! I always say that I could have ended up making toys, establishing a free school, or growing organic rice, but it would all have come from the very same place; creating toys is only the result of this deep need of ours to serve and take care of children.<\/p>

When our eldest was born, our life exploded! We were facing a world that felt like the complete opposite of the world we\u2019d been forced to live in. So we looked into each others\u2019 eyes with Jordi, and decided to do things the way that we believed was right, not what was supposed or told to us to be the \u201cright way\u201d.<\/p>

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We usually talk about natural toys and free play while showing children in an idyllic nature setting \u2013 which is, actually, the way we are both lucky to live! But your new campaign and toys come with a very different message. A very strong manifesto, even! What inspired this new collection?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Quality free play happens in any environment: the countryside, the beach, the snow, or the New York City Subway! A play material can be anything from a beer cap to a key, an acorn, or a river rock… In our new campaign, we wanted to talk to children who live in cities, because we believe it\u2019s more difficult for them to find the peace and freedom that nature offers us.<\/p>

My first idea was to talk about the loose parts in the city: to transfer the idea and the discussion from an acorn to a beer cap. But when we made the photoshoot for our new catalogue, the whole experience took me by surprise \u2013 something I can\u2019t even fully explain! We faced so many challenges, even hostility, trying to photograph this group of 6 children, who were just eager to play around in the city. That\u2019s when the original idea turned into a manifesto<\/a><\/strong>! The limits that children in cities face are so extreme that we need to consider them carefully. <\/p>

How do you see children living in a city? How could we make cities a better place for them?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

I see children who, due to circumstances beyond their control, need to handle an almost inhuman amount of \u201cNO!\u201d all the time.<\/p>

I see very few environments that are specifically prepared for children, and they\u2019re often totally detached from the reality of the whole community. I see children who are not part of the whole, but rather “closed” off, and restricted to these specific spaces.<\/p>

Cities have not been designed for children, or with them in mind: the steps to get on the bus are way too high for them, the drinking fountains are out of reach.<\/p>

I believe that children deserve to be heard, to be seen, and to be an equal part of the community. As an American Indian saying goes: <\/p>

\u201cWe don’t inherit the land from our parents, we borrow it from our children.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>

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What does the word \u201eGrapat\u201d mean? What are the three characteristics of Grapat toys or materials? The things that, no matter what you\u2019ll design in the future, will always be an essence of your toys?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Grapat means \u201ca handful\u201d in Catalan, our local language. Our purpose is to offer children just a tiny amount of information, to let them connect with their inner needs. The materials we give them need to enable them to learn and discover things by themselves, and most of all, to exercise their freedom.<\/p>

Sometimes the freedom that comes with life is uncomfortable, especially for us as adults. So this is one of our main goals: to let children be free within a prepared environment. Don\u2019t forget, though, that this freedom is directly linked to limits. Freedom never equals limitlessness (as it\u2019s sometimes mistaken to be). The freedom we offer our children as adults has to correspond to their developmental stages, their abilities and how a particular child can handle that level of freedom. But freedom has risks, and freedom is a right \u2013 we should never forget this when we raise children!<\/p>

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Once you described play as an earthquake, and I found it such a captivating way of putting it. Could you tell us a bit more about what play means to you?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Play is the language of kids. It\u2019s their homeland, where they can be themselves, and the language they speak. Play is a basic need, sometimes even more so than eating or going to the toilet. Play is a sacred space, where \u2013 if it\u2019s respected by us adults \u2013  they can just BE.<\/p>

What are the most important things that children need for their play?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

They need a rich, prepared environment that\u2019s full of possibilities and corresponds to the developmental stage they\u2019re in. They also need an attentive adult, present but silent, who does not interrupt or take over their play but rather holds space for them. Adults, who trust them and who can put their ego aside.<\/p>

They also need open-ended TIME. Open-ended play without open-ended time is a bit of nonsense, I think! Children have busier agendas than ever, and I think this is something that we really need to rethink.<\/p>

What about toys? Do children need toys at all for their play?<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/p>

Our eldest child, Lola didn\u2019t have any toys \u2013 or things we typically call toys! \u2013 until she was 4. Then I felt that it would be a little bit radical to carry on without them. But children do not really need toys \u2013 what they need are play materials that allow them first to explore, then later to use these materials as symbols, that let them explore their abilities and possibilities. These materials can be anything, from water to a stick, a rope, adhesive tape, a wooden ball, or some cardboard boxes…<\/p>

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As far as we know, you still design every single Grapat toy! Where do you usually draw your inspiration from?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

I must admit that nature is my main source of inspiration. For example, the green color of a leaf on an evergreen tree that, if we look closely, actually changes colour in each season. Or the bark of different trees. But inspiration does not stop here. A light pole on the street, jam jars, jewellery, a visit to the hardware store \u2013 anything can inspire me!<\/p>

It\u2019s also inspiring to observe the hands of a child when he interacts with something, whatever that something would be. No designer can say that ideas come by magic. Ideas arrive, rest, develop; they are saved, discarded, they change and evolve. Developing a new idea is a much longer road than it seems!<\/p>

This may be a slightly cheeky question, because it\u2019s like asking a mother about her favourite child<\/em><\/strong>. B<\/strong><\/em>ut which Grapat toy is your personal favourite?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

The Lola set<\/a><\/strong> is \u2013 in my opinion \u2013 one of the best designs I\u2019ve made.<\/p>

Is this toy also the most popular one with your customers? Which are the most popular sets in your collection?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

There are many that have stayed bestsellers over the years: the bowls and balls<\/a><\/strong>, the Carla set<\/a><\/strong>, or the perpetual calendar<\/a><\/strong> among others.<\/p>

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Do your own children play (or did they use to play) with toys from other makers as well? How has the toy shelf looked like in your home over the years?<\/strong><\/p>

They\u2019ve never had more than 5 or 6 toys at a time. We\u2019ve mostly offered them materials for play, like in the case of my son, Tomas: hammers, ropes and screws! Or fabric, adhesive tape and watercolours for Lola. They also played a LOT with Kapla, Ostheimer<\/a><\/strong>, Matador, Lottie, Grimm’s<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 next to old books used for big constructions. \ud83d\ude0a Lego is also loved in our home \u2013 but we have some rules around it, for example, the instruction booklets cannot be used!<\/p>

To share a bit of the love for play around: who are some other toy manufacturers whose work you admire and respect?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

I truly respect Magic Wood and Kapla. They have a vision to offer most simple pieces that are full of possibilities!<\/p>

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Photography: Joguines Grapat<\/a><\/em>. All right reserved.<\/em><\/p>