reclaiming the playful
engaging play as a professional tool
full day workshop
introduction
Whilst our culture has generally conditioned us not to take play seriously, it is a very natural way to learn, explore and develop. Play researcher Stuart Brown notes that most animals (including humans) have evolved to spontaneously play (1). In a complex world where unpredictability is the norm play helps us experiment, try things out, discover patterns in the behaviour of those around us – making it a powerful professional tool for complex times.
To be clear: In this workshop we will be reconnecting with the spirit of play rather that using gaming. As Stephen Nachmanovitch puts it:
“‘Play’ is different from ‘game’. Play is the free spirit of exploration, doing and being for it’s own pure joy… Play is an attitude, a spirit, a way of doing things, whereas game is a defined activity with rules and a playing field and participants.”(2)
for whom?
Do you want to support your group in:
- finding lighter ways to be creative and solve problems?
- becoming more creative?
- having more fun at work?
- becoming more cohesive as a team?
- learning to improvise better?
workshop content and methods
working methods:
This workshop will be highly interactive, whilst there will be a theoretical component, the bulk of the time will be devoted to playful practice. We will be working closely with the practices of InterPlay – using improvised movement, voice, story. Sophia is also a Laughter Yoga leader and will incorporate some laughter exercise. You can bring in a theme or problem from your workplace to play with in this workshop or play with more generic themes. Exploring a generic theme can act as a training ground for learning to work with playful practices and tools in general. Playful practices also give participants the chance to see each other in a different light and has the potential to enrich team dynamics.
one day programme includes:
- Playful practices combining movement, voice and story (InterPlay)
- Laughter Yoga exercises
- Using play to explore a theme/problem
- Laughter and adult play research overviews
- Reflection and integration: exploring how participants can use this in their own contexts
investment
all prices are exclusive GST (BTW)
One day workshop: €1900 / $3200 (AUD)
This price includes:
- workshop for up to 16 participants (€100/$170pp for extra participants, a longer day may also be required to give the same quality of attention per person)
- a handout
- 25% discount on an embodied enquiry session within 6 months
This price does not include:
- venue hire (can also be done on location at your workplace – space preferred is 5sqm pp, minimum 3.5sqm pp.)
- catering
- travel costs for the facilitator
If you are a smaller organisation or a not-for-profit and this price is beyond your reach, please contact Sophia to discuss possibilities in your case.
relevant blog posts:
the power of doing things just for fun
engaging playfulness as a tool
Footnotes:
1. Brown, Stuart, Play How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul, Avery, 2009
2. Nachmanovitch, Stephen, Free Play, Improvisation in Life and Art, Tarcher/Putnam, 1990
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