Queen Victoria Gardens

Ways to access that light giddy feeling, led by experts who take joy seriously 

In a world that can feel like a cascade of calamity, acts of joy and playfulness can be the best intervention. But, of course, you can’t just conjure joy from thin air.  This discussion is about practical ways we can tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges using joy and play.  

Panellists include Psyche Payne, CEO of ALWAYS LIVE, a state-wide celebration of live music; Hailey Cooperrider creator of The Adaption Game, a playful serious community role-playing game about responding to climate change; Skye Haldane, a strategic landscape architect at City of Melbourne, whose work incorporates creating opportunities for play and inclusion in the city’s public spaces; and Troy Innocent an artist, game maker and urban play scholar from RMIT Future Play Lab. The talk will be moderated by Stephan Bramble from Playgrounded, a company that helps colleagues build better relationships, rituals and reflection practices. Together they’re going to roll up their sleeves and delve into joy’s capacity to be an act of subversion in our cities, communities and workplaces. 

This program is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies