I went to the ominously named Play To Death without much idea of what it would be. It turned out to be the first of a weekly movement-play workshop, led by an actor / dancer. This was Welcome Walking Week, so most of the movement revolved around pacing around the space in various different playful manners.

I don’t think I was the only one who didn’t know what I was in for. But everyone got into it, had fun, and threw themselves into losing their inhibitions. I didn’t find a chance immediately to ask whether it would be okay to take pictures – so people had already had a chance to discover that they’d be moderately humiliating themselves in front of strangers, before they gave their assent. Mutual humiliation is always an experience that I love to be part of!

What did I learn about play? Well, it certainly reinforced the instinct I had that anything – even things as banal as walking – can become the topic of play. And that it’s very easy to mindlessly perform quite complicated movements and activities, and that play is a way of bringing attention to just these sorts of otherwise unnoticed ways of being.

I had great fun, and will definitely be back. Hopefully we’ll be moving up to jogging soon!

If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress. – Barack Obama

Ease of play: 8/10 

Resemblance to play: 8/10 

Aggression: Medium (there was bumping!)

Speed: Medium

Enjoyability: High

Potential frequency of play: Medium


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