Let's Talk About Dementia

Mary Fridley • August 3, 2023

Smash the Silence Around Dementia

Global Play Brigade is proud to support Taking It to the Streets, a global campaign led by Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice designed to creatively “smash the silence” around dementia. The Coalition is led by GPB member Mary Fridley who, together with Dr. Susan Massad, created The Joy of Dementia (You Gotta Be Kidding) at the East Side Institute, where she is on faculty.

 

Officially launched in June, Taking It to the Streets will take place during the week of September 18-24, 2023 (World Alzheimer’s Month). The Coalition is asking its 815 plus members from 34 members (including several brigadiers) and those involved with partner organizations like GPB to host public-facing events, activities and conversations that present a playful and creative alternative to the fear, stigma and hopelessness surrounding dementia.

 

“When I first entered the world of dementia in 2013, I quickly realized that ‘what is to be is up to me’ so with the support of friends and community, my diagnosis has not been an ending but a new beginning,” shares Coalition member, poet and Dangle and Dot co-founder Nancy Nelson. “My life is full of ah-ha moments filled with sprinkles of fun, some laughter and joy amongst serious day-to-day learning about myself and dementia. I urge everyone to join us in taking it to the streets so that everyone affected by dementia can live better, longer and with purpose.”

 

Nancy is one of 55 million people living with dementia worldwide, a figure expected to triple by 2025. And yet, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias continue to be dominated by a stigma- and shame-filled ‘tragedy narrative’ that, according to Mary, has led to this very human condition being surrounded by an isolating “cone of silence.” 

 

As she shares, “As we’ve learned from those who helped bring AIDS, autism, disability, cancer and so much more ‘out of the closet. If this is to change, we need to win the hearts and minds of people across the world so that together we can shatter the silence. That’s why we’ll be Taking It to the Streets in every possible community. And we’re doing so with creativity and through the arts, play and more because this is how we restore humanity to people impacted by dementia and ensure that diagnosis is a starting point for joy, connection, growth and new possibilities.”

 

If you’d like to learn more, visit the campaign webpage, where the “Taking It to the Streets” logo, campaign information and social media toolkit are available for download.

 

The Coalition also invites to you become a member (it’s free and takes a minute), which you can do by clicking here.

 

If you’d like to contribute your play energy to this effort — or want to speak with Mary about the Joy of Dementia and/or the Coalition — contact her here.

 

Let’s Take It to the Street in September!

PLAYTELLIGENCE 2025 : Reimagining Learning

By Global Play Brigade • May 15, 2025
PLAYTELLIGENCE 2025 : Reimagining Learning In a world where traditional education often sidelines the importance of curiosity and joy, the PLAYTELLIGENCE Global Playshop 2025 emerged as a beacon of transformative learning. Hosted by the Global Play Brigade , this dynamic event welcomed 210 participants from 25 countries , representing 67 organizations —all united by a common belief: play is not just a fun activity; it’s an essential form of intelligence. Playtelligence is a term coined by GPB, it fuses ‘Play’ with ‘Intelligence,’ signifying an innovative way to approach education. It challenges outdated norms, suggesting that learning thrives not in rigidity but in curiosity, engaged collaboration, and yes, laughter. Playtelligence participants didn’t sit passively; instead, they embraced the unknown, danced with mistakes, explored environmental concerns through creative lenses, and rediscovered the joy of learning. Workshops that reshaped how educators and learners perceive growth and development. Susan Hillyard , a sociologist of education in Argentina and one of our inspiring hosts, reflected: “It’s beautiful to see teachers freed up to play. That’s what I witnessed at Playtelligence! The Educator Ensemble did a wonderful job bringing together such talented educators to facilitate a variety of offerings.” Luke Perone , a professor of psychology and human development in Hawaii, shared his thoughts on the closing session: “The final gathering was open and hopeful. There was genuine appreciation for the tools learned in small groups, and the collective energy was palpable.” A student participant reflected on the "Let's Dance with Mistakes" session: “The experience was both enriching and inspiring. Engaging with participants from so many countries fostered a sense of community. I left feeling energized and motivated to incorporate playful approaches into my own educational practices.” We celebrated diversity with sessions in English, Spanish, and Bengali , ensuring inclusivity and global participation. Translation tools enabled rich, cross-cultural exchanges , proving once again that imagination knows no borders . The impact of Playtelligence 2025 extends beyond the event itself. It has sown seeds of change in hearts and minds across the world. The vision is clear: to create joyful, collective, messy, and alive learning environments where both educators and students thrive through play. A special shout-out to the Brigadiers who produced and co-created PLAYTELLIGENCE: Susan Hillyard (Argentina), Luke Perone (USA), Toto Carandang (Philippines), Hikaru Hie (Japan), Mamiko Miyamoto (Japan), Vivianne Carrijo (Brazil), Levi Correa (Brazil), Manuela Kelly (Italy), Gwen Lowenheim (USA), Jim Martinez (USA), Meiko Kojima (Japan), Connie Shui-Yi (USA), Nancy Li (USA), Barbara A. Michaels (USA), Wycliffe Barasa (Kenya), Cristina Gioveni (Argentina), Carolyn Sealfon(Canada), Manolo Lopez (Spain), Ruben Reyes (Spain), Mariela Mondaca (Argentina), Manisita Khastaghir, Rev. Rodney Borneo (India), Ishita Sanyal (India) and Barbara Natalizia (USA). A big THANK YOU to our awesome tech team - Sarah Filman, Zara Barryte and Diane Whitehouse - thanks for being the true heroes behind-the-scenes, and making sure we all could stay connected and enjoy the session. Special thanks to YAHE & Cultivating Ensembles, for partnering with Global Play Brigade in making Playtelligence 2025 a huge success! As we look forward to the next Global Playshop called Heart and Power , we carry with us the giggles, belly laughs, meaningful gestures, and heartfelt connections formed during this transformative event. Until then, let’s all keep playing it forward .

Yvette Says Higher Education Needs More Play

By Global Play Brigade • May 15, 2025
Yvette Says Higher Education Needs More Play Imagine having a friend in every country of the world. Imagine being able to have coffee with someone anywhere in the world you go. Imagine an incredible boost in your confidence resulting in personal growth and exciting career opportunities. These are not mere imaginations, this is the everyday reality of Yvette Alcott since she joined the GPB movement in 2020. As a proud alum of the GPB Ambassadors Program, the program let Yvette build her confidence and transformed her into a lifetime advocate for play. One of the eureka moments that made her realize just how much her confidence had grown was a podcast interview she had with psychologist and educator Luke Perone. Despite being nervous at first, Yvette accepted the challenge and did incredibly well. During her podcast with Dr. Perone, Yvette had talked about the difficulties of incorporating play into higher education, where the focus is often solely on knowledge acquisition. Surprisingly, people from her former university listened to the podcast and as a result she was invited to conduct teamwork sessions using play, which were highly successful and well-received. This experience reiterated her belief that play is underutilized in educational settings and that there is a need to incorporate it more widely. As the leader of GPB Australia, Yvette shared a number of challenges she's been facing in making the GPB’s mission shine-through in an Australian context. She shared that she's constantly learning from the visionary and incredible leadership of Cathy Salit and Rita Ezenwa-Okoro in making play mainstream in Australia. Despite the challenges she might face, Yvette is not giving up! Chatting with Yvette was truly reassuring, comforting and inspiring. Hearing her share these stories about a boost in confidence, making new friends globally, and exciting career opportunities made us see just how much impact the Global Play Brigade has had and is having on the lives of those who come in contact with it. We hope Yvette's story inspires and helps you become a part of the people that are serious about Play! Here’s a link to the podcast.