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Loving the Play Community

Loving the Play Community

Reflections on the Playable City Tokyo conference and the talk I gave there about cultivating play communities.

Knowledge & Reflection

The Player as Funambulist

The Player as Funambulist

While a funambulist and a player knows that any state of equilibrium can only ever be momentary, a proper citizen in 2018 is taught to believe that if only the right systems, models and rules are applied and followed, no balancing is required.

Society & Politics

The Politics of Play

The Politics of Play

Some might say that this whole thing about “play and democracy” is a misunderstanding, forcing play into a space, where it doesn’t belong: the realm of politics. What if play is already always political by nature?

About CounterPlay

Playing at the Edge

Playing at the Edge

The theme of CounterPlay ’19 is “playing at the edge”, and we welcome different forms of proposals that reflect this in one way or another. As always, we are eager to explore play from as many different angles as possible, building on our three pillars: playful learning, playful working and playful living.

Recent posts

Materials and Junk-yard Play

Materials and Junk-yard Play

Together with our friends Helle Marie Skovbjerg and Ann Charlotte Thorsted, we have formed a small play club and we recently hosted our second event to play with materials and celebrate junk-yard playgrounds.

From Biel with love

From Biel with love

When I came home from the Pro Juventute play festival a few weeks ago, my head was full of impressions, thoughts and ideas – as it always happens after participating in lovely play events. I was particularly struck by the “Playable Esplanade”, where so much joyous play took place.

Celebrating Play Professors

Celebrating Play Professors

May 1st Helle Marie Skovbjerg, along with her Dutch colleague, Tilde Bekker, gave their inaugural lectures at Design School Kolding. Both of them were to be professors of play – amazing! – and I had been invited to bring some play to the party!

CounterPlay Manifesto

CounterPlay Manifesto

While retaining a fundamental openness, curiosity and the capacity to always learn more about the nature of play, with this manifesto we wish to put a stake in the ground and make our position on play clearly visible.

The Player as Funambulist

The Player as Funambulist

While a funambulist and a player knows that any state of equilibrium can only ever be momentary, a proper citizen in 2018 is taught to believe that if only the right systems, models and rules are applied and followed, no balancing is required.

Well Played, Bernie

Well Played, Bernie

My dear friend, Bernie DeKoven, is now at rest, but I’m sure he continues merrily down that playful path of his. While I’m saddened by his departure, it makes me smile to think of him and his incredible legacy.

Struggling in a ROI Society

Struggling in a ROI Society

I gave a talk at “Spilbar” at the National Film School of Denmark yesterday titled ”‘I’m just playing'; the radical act of expecting nothing in return” (follow link for my presentation), where I made an attempt to connect some of the thoughts and questions...

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