Playposium Keynote: Alison James, Karaoke, Play and Other Existential Dilemmas
Channel: Professors at Play
Date: 2020-11-16

Alison James, Professor, National Teaching Fellow, Principal Fellow of the HEA and accredited LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator presents:

Karaoke, Play and Other Existential Dilemmas

Hands up if you love karaoke? Hate it? If we were in a room full of people right now you would see such a mixture of arm waving! We are split between whether or not karaoke fills us with euphoria, or makes us want to crawl under a rock. So it is with play. The very word conjures up different responses depending on who you are and what you understand play to be, as well as your own experiences of it. In this talk we will challenge our understanding of the meaning of play, its depth and complexity, and look at how it features in our lives without us even being aware of it. I will draw on my work supporting creative, imaginative and alternative modes of teaching, my collaborations to legitimise play in the academy and make it visible and appreciated, and my current research into the use and value of play in higher education. I’ll also be reflecting with you on how we often play to navigate the tougher times in life, not just the moments filled with rainbows and unicorns. I’ll be sharing many of the tensions and polarities that emerge when you study play in formal adult learning, as well as the myriad ways it is being embedded across all the disciplines from the arts to zoology.  Together we will examine our lives as players and educators and look at how these two intertwine.

More information at: professorsatplay.org