Feature ~ Blog

I went to a really great sex workshop on Tuesday night…I got your attention didn’t I. It was a fundraiser that I helped the Young Professionals Committee put on to raise money for the Factory Theatre. The event was inspired by their latest show ‘The Sexual Practices of the Japanese,’ by Theatre Replacement from Vancouver.

While the play aims to dispel stereotypes around Japanese sexual culture, the ladies only workshop led by Carlyle Jansen from Good for Her, strove to remind us that the secret to enjoying one of our favourite pastimes was to approach it with a playful spirit. To take the time to be less goal oriented and give yourself the freedom to be more lighthearted, adventurous, not to be afraid of making a few fumbles and to be sure to laugh along the way.

Andrew Taylor spoke of a similar idea in one of his latest Artful Manager blogs ‘Creating Space for Play.’ He brought up the article ‘Let the Children Play’, stating

“ It seems that cultural managers could use some version of this list in many situations, by substituting the word ‘‘children’’ with ‘’ staff,’’ ‘‘artists,’’ ‘‘board members,’’ ‘‘audiences,’’ ‘‘volunteers,’’ and the like.

Facilitating Children’s Play
Young children need a balance of opportunities for different kinds of play, indoors and outdoors. They need the support of knowledgeable adults and parents who do the following:

• Provide long, uninterrupted periods (45-60 minutes minimum) for spontaneous free play.
• Provide a variety of materials to stimulate different kinds of play—blocks and construction toys for cognitive development; sand, mud, water, clay, paint, and other open-ended materials for sensory play, dress-up clothes and props for pretend play; balls, hoops, climbing places, and open space for gross motor play.
• Provide loose parts for play, both indoors and out, and encourage children to manipulate the environment to support their play.
• Consider the opportunities for challenge and age-appropriate risk-taking in play.
• Ensure that all children have access to play opportunities and are included in play.
• Let children play for their own purposes.
• Play with children on their terms, taking the occasional ride down the slide, or putting on a hat and assuming a role in pretend play.
• Recognize the value of messy play, rough-and-tumble play, and nonsense play.
• Understand that children need to feel a sense of belonging to the play culture of childhood.
• Take an interest in their play, asking questions, offering suggestions, and engaging eagerly as co-players when invited. “

Personally, I feel that it is often in these moments of play where brilliant new ideas are sparked. Allowing yourself or your company the freedom to try new things and ‘play’ around can really stimulate positive growth. Even exercising flexibility with your audience and reaching them on their own terms can only fuel better community connections. It seems that often our fear of failing or change holds us back from the important risks and new forms of creative thinking that really take us to the next level.

During a workshop that I facilitated on ‘Creating Healthy Work Environments,’ at the TAPA Trade Forum, one of the panelists brought up an important point. She described how hard her colleagues were working to launch an upcoming festival. They all went out for lunch together to share their perspectives and take a breather. As they went around the table allowing each person to voice their opinions, a new member of the staff piped up saying ‘I’m worried that we are going to come to the end of this festival and we won’t be able to say that we had any fun.’

This comment made everyone in the room smile, how often can you say that you had fun? I figure if you can’t remember when the last time was for you, this spring might be a perfect time for you to exercise your right to play again.  Playtime in all its forms and making even the most serious endeavors fun can really bring a new perspective and freshness to what we do.