GPB Changemakers Play Festival
The Global Play Brigade is obsessed. We’re playfully obsessed with helping to bring the creative, innovative, disruptive and transformative power of play into areas of mainstream life that are in dire need of creativity, innovation, disruption and transformation.
So in 2024, we decided to create themes for our global gatherings as a way to focus our collective efforts on particular aspects of our lives/world where integrating PLAY could make a significant difference. Here’s how!
In March we explored
PLAY for mental health
at our global gathering across borders. With the rise in mental illness and distress across all cultures, we sorely need new approaches and practices to support people in need.
In June, we experimented with PLAY for learning and education for all ages with our festival of Playtelligence. Traditional and out-dated approaches to education are limiting students, teachers and parents in creativity, critical thinking and social cohesion.
And a few weeks ago,
our November Changemakers Play Festival introduced PLAY for professional development to changemakers to continue to grow their social missions. It was designed not just to utilize play methodology for skills like communication, collaboration, innovation and leadership, but also to consider weaving play into the fabric of social activism— a field that also needs innovation and fresh thinking, now more than ever.
200 people from 30 countries gathered on Zoom. Buoyed by a new (amazing!) translation software program (that we taught participants how to use on-the-spot), we welcomed activists from as far and wide as Australia, Venezuela, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Ghana, Serbia, Japan, India, Italy, Canada, Nigeria, Argentina and the US, to name just a few of the nations present. Leaders and team members from over 40 different organizations participated. And what a rich diversity of organizations they were!
Gender equality groups from The Netherlands, Spain and Nigeria. Environmental organizations from Nigeria and the US. University programs and educators from Pakistan, Canada, Belgrade and Argentina. Mental health hotlines and programs from the US, South Africa and the UK. Youth development programs from Pittsburgh, US and Lagos, Nigeria. Anti-poverty and Sustainability projects from Ghana to Nigeria, and senior citizen centers and organizations from New Zealand to the US.
The Changemakers Festival was hosted by the vibrant and talented Mamiko Miyamoto from Japan, the academic powerhouse Jorge Burciaga Montoya from Mexico, the passionate performance activist Ruben Reyes Jiron from Nicaragua/Spain and of course our wonderful and esteemed Executive Director, Rita Ezenwa-Okoro. In her welcoming remarks, she commented;
“It is through playing together that we can build communities across borders and barriers and discover the possibilities of co-creating and renewing our world.”
The 200 participants were hard at work and play exploring new possibilities. Rita’s words resonated throughout the event, fueling every conversation and session.
A truly gifted and multilingual and cross cultural Brigadier/Facilitator volunteer team designed and presented 10 workshops in both English and Spanish (with additional languages through the translation tool we mentioned above!). The workshops covered so much interactive ground: Conversations, Teamwork and Collaboration, Creative Campaigning, Powergames in the workplace, Presentations and communication, Navigating uncertainty, Co-creating Freedom, Cultivating resilience, and the power of Storytelling. A special shout out to the Global Play Brigadiers who produced and presented at this special gathering: Alex Sutherland, Aylwyn Walsh, Barbara Ann Michaels, Cathy Salit, Chidinma Osigwe, Daniel Maposa, Diane Whitehouse, Hikaru Hie, Jordan Hirsch, Jorge Burciaga Montoya, Kahlil Bagatsing, Mamiko Miyamoto, Manolo Lopez, Marko Vučetić, Martha McCoy, Miguel Cortes, Pelemo Nyajo, Raquell Holmes, Rick Horner, Rita Ezenwa-Okoro, Ruben Reyes Jiron, Sarah Filman, Sean Kwan, Susan Hillyard, Victoria Hogg, Yvette Alcott, and Zara Barryte. And special thanks to our partner organization Freedom Festival!
We received wonderful feedback from the changemakers in attendance.
In the Flash Poll we held on the day(s) of, we learned:
78 people felt more connected to the global community as a result of the gathering
77 people said they now feel empowered to integrate play into their work
74 people are planning to share what they learned with their organization or team(s)
In a phone call afterwards, one of the participants shared
I believe in the value of connecting with others, and the GPB Changemakers Festival made it so easy. There we were, in a Zoom room full of so many different kinds of people/cultures who didn’t know each other – from all over the planet. The energy and talent was truly awesome. Honestly, I’ve really never experienced anything like it, and didn’t know it was possible. Playing together frees us all to be ourselves, and to really make a difference in the world. The Global Play Brigade is gold.
In the group chat after we all returned from the workshops, we heard
Today's session had a profound impact on me, but one thing that stood out was the importance of genuine appreciation and gratitude in building strong relationships.
It is really humbling to have the whole world in the room together working on transforming ourselves and our practice.
I found a new thought process…storytelling can be indeed transformative.
Being power hungry often comes from me feeling powerless. We explored when we were powerless and when we hurt others.
I would love to workshop the ideas shared on this platform. I learnt that some frameworks/principles can be interpreted into play.
The Spirit of Play
A journey starts, uncharted and free
We go on a path together
Where we are more open to not knowing
Embracing the joy of spontaneity
A reminder of how freeing play can be
And that we don’t need much to play
Just hearts eager to connect
Laughter as our guide
Connecting with new people, hearing their stories
Each voice a note in our shared symphony
Confidence is contagious
Like ripples in a pond
Don’t overthink!
Let intuition lead the way
Own your story
Speaking it with energy!
And we learned to build on someone else's work—
Every contribution, a stepping stone.
Did you know we have an ability to connect
Without using words?
Silent understanding blooms
Authenticity!
And sometimes that is more powerful
Be present – a mantra in the stillness
A playground for the mind and spirit
Games motivated us to be more creative
Y’know, everyone has boundless creativity
Waiting to be sparked.
At the GPB Changemakers Play Festival
Ideas dance and collide
A community united in this tapestry of play
We weave connections that last
A reminder that together
We are on the path to joy
(This poem was created from the chat comments of Changemakers PlayFest and then creatively edited)
Whew! The Changemakers PlayFest truly was a convergence of cultures, languages, causes, countries, and people—a melting pot of caring and passionate souls coming to learn how to activate change in new, creative, and powerful ways.
