Imagining Futures Through Joy and Play
How can we contain and create Joy, Risk, and Play to imagine and envision possibilities?
Theater of the Oppressed work challenges us to consider that we are the protagonist of our own story. Liberatory thinking considers the question, if there were no limitations or barriers, what do I the protagonist of my life, desire in my daily life?
Play, as understood by many from childhood, can include creating barriers and setting limits. The floor is made of lava. The fort cannot be touched. Grab the flag when no one is looking. In play, there is an obstacle or limitation that blocks the action toward the desired goal, which creates the game. Therefore, play and barriers can be metaphors where strategy, fun, and teamwork are necessary to play and attempt the goal.
Through Applied Theater and Theater of the Oppressed practices, these workshops invite participants to use joy and play as tools for visionary thinking. Together, we’ll reflect on what’s possible when we imagine ourselves as protagonists in liberatory futures—individually and collectively. Movement, image-making, and play will be used to spark insight and connection.
These workshops incorporate modalities of applied theater, somatic and sensorial work, and arts-based methodologies for reflection and connection. As a community an exploration through the imaginal space of the “playground” is created to actualize dreams, desires, and visions of work and life.
