Keynotes-2019

We are delighted to announce our three playful keynotes for 2019: spanning research and practice but connected by play.

Alison James

Alison James is Professor of Learning and Teaching at the University of Winchester, a National Teaching Fellow, ILM trained coach and accredited facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®. She has held numerous roles in specialist arts institutions and since 2016 has been Director of Academic Quality and Development at the University of Winchester. Her interests in play, creativity and imagination have followed her throughout her career; finding  expression in numerous publications, including Engaging Imagination: helping students become creative and reflective thinkers (2014) with Stephen Brookfield and The Power of Play (2019) co-edited with Chrissi Nerantzi. Among her current activities she is institutional project lead for an OECD multi-nation collaboration on teaching and fostering creativity and critical thinking and co-convenor of the University of Winchester’s annual Play and Creativity Festival. To find out more about Alison you can visit her blog here.

Zuraida Buter

Zuraida Buter is a playful culture curator based in the Netherlands. She curates, initiates, consults and documents events focused on playful culture, play and games. Her work revolves around bringing people together for creation, inspiration and playfulness.

She runs playful culture organisation zo-ii where she has curated projects such as Incubate Arcade and Screenshake Game Expo, showcasing a wide range of different game & play projects and artists throughout the years.

Zuraida is co-founder of Playful Arts Festival, which explores and stimulates crossovers between interactive performing arts, visual art and playful design with a focus on social interaction. The festival has brought over hundred playful arts projects and artists to the Netherlands since being established in 2012. A few highlights: alternative controller game Hit me! by Kaho Abe, playful shenanigans with Bernie DeKoven and the Bodies in Urban Spaces performance by Cie. Willi Dorner.

Photo by Izzy Gramp (@shrubbette).

James Charnock

James Charnock is an Event Manager with 15 years experience of organising conferences, events, gigs, parties, social programmes and to a lesser extent, his life.

Having been introduced to Playful Learning four years ago, James will discuss the path by which it was introduced to him, and how that message has been passed on to the team he works in, their suppliers, colleagues and well, anyone who is willing to listen. He will also discuss the risks associated with introducing playful events, and elements of these that can be introduced into events that are traditionally less playful in approach.

There’ll be some hints and tips on how to work in non-playful settings, thoughts on what a playful approach to events can help (and hinder) with, some hidden surprises, lots of interaction with a willing audience, and probably, a song.