Presentation from webinar on November 17-2016. Describes CounterPlay, our purpose, the underlying values and ideas of the festival, as well as the theme of CounterPlay '17: "The Power of Play".

1. The first of (hopefully) many webinars about the wonders and
challenges of play today.
The Power of Play

2. On this webinar
• We wish to experiment with the format
• We need many different ways of talking, interacting & developing the
playful community; there’s no *one* right way
• It’s more structured than a ”regular” online conversation (e.g. skype)
• I’m the only one with mic/webcam, so use the chat as much as you
feel like (& raise your hand if you want to speak)
• Don’t hesitate to ask or interrupt; we’re only playing!

3. Agenda
• Welcome: who are here? Where are you from? (10-15 min)
• Presentation: CounterPlay – the power of play (15-20 min)
• Discussion & questions (10-15 minutes)
• What are the burning questions about play? (10 minutes)
• Closing remarks

4. Who’s here?
Where are you from? (Why) do you find play important?

5. The Power of Play
In which I ramble about CounterPlay and, well, the power(s) of play (do
continue to comment & ask questions while I talk)

6. What is this ”CounterPlay”?
A (tiny) NGO organizing a (slightly less tiny) play festival.
First:

7. Why is play important?
I *think* playful people are better equipped to live
meaningful lives in this messy, complex & chaotic world.

8. I also think that to become (or
stay) playful, you must play

9. If play is a means to an end, the
end is becoming more playful

10. “When enough people raise play to
the status it deserves in our lives, we
will find the world a better place”
Brown M.D., Stuart; Vaughan, Christopher. Play: How it
Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates
the Soul

11. What is the purpose of CounterPlay?
We wish to create more opportunities to play, cultivate
playful communities across borders and boundaries and
drive a movement towards a more playful world.

12. We need to develop a
holistic approach,
including all of society
& the world

13. CounterPlay should be a
prototype of the playful society
What would it look & feel like? How would people interact? How
would they solve problems together?

14. CounterPlay ’17 – The Power of Play
What is this about?

15. Well, it’s our theme for CounterPlay ‘17
http://www.counterplay.org/call-for-proposals

16. What is the ”power of play”?
…but then:
Well, it’s powerS,
plural, really.

17. Play can add another dimension
to every experience
” For every dinosaur-shaped cloud that is
spotted, a thousand stegosaurs gallop past
unnoticed” – Alex Moseley

18. “I feel more certain than ever that our
play and playfulness will prove a
powerful healing force - on us and those
with whom we play playfully. Play,
because it will engage us in the world
instead of encouraging us to withdraw”
Bernie DeKoven
https://www.facebook.com/mathias.poulsen/posts/10153886756811447

19. Play helps us take ourself less
seriously
In play, we can step out of our normal role, observe ourself from
the outside, laugh at the serious facade we usually put up.

20. Play asks (critical) questions
Can I play here? Who owns our public spaces & institutions?

21. Play allows us to see the world anew
The world can always be different, no
matter how much we hear about ”the
politics of necessity”

22. ” Play makes people aware of their
capacities for social agency”
Henricks, Thomas S.. Play and the Human Condition

23. “Playfulness means taking over a
world to see it through the lens of
play, to make it shake and laugh and
crack because we play with it”
Sicart, Miguel. Play Matters

24. Play creates spaces for us to
challenge power
The power of play may be that it gives us the capacity and
courage to stand up to the power we are usually subject to or
governed by.

25. These are obviously just a few of
the powers of play
We *insist* that play is multi-faceted, complex, full of ambiguity and
probably impossible for us to ever understand completely.
That is ok.

26. How can you contribute?
In any way conceivable, but we prefer activities that are
participatory, that get people talking-interacting-thinking-working-
moving

27. Proposals can be short, silly,
playful, words, drawings…
We just need to get an idea about what you want to do,
what the participants get to do, and how it can fit in the
program. We can *always* talk more later.

28. Questions, comments?
Hit me (if you haven’t already!)

29. How much can we play in here?
1-2-3 DRAW!

30. What are your most burning
questions about play? What are
the major challenges?

31. Get in touch:
Thank you SO much for joining us!
Web: www.counterplay.org
Email: mathias@counterplay.org
Twitter: @CounterPlayFest
Facebook – page: www.facebook.com/counterplaying
Facebook – group: www.facebook.com/groups/counterplay/