Playworlds are a performatory approach to early childhood education that brings children and teachers together to create an imaginary world where they can all develop emotionally, cognitively, and socially.  Dr. Beth Ferholt of Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York is one of the world’s leading practitioners and theorists of the Playworld approach. Here she comes together with Dr. Carrie Lobman, Professor of Learning and Teaching at Rutgers University and Leader, Education, and Research for the East Side Institute to explore this radically playful path to early childhood development.

Places to learn about Beth’s work and the work of The International Playworld Network and Playworld of Creative Research:

workhttps://lchcautobio.ucsd.edu/polyphonic-autobiography/section-5/chapter-14/

www.helsinki.fi/child

https://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/academics/faculty/faculty_profile.jsp?faculty=927

https://culturalpraxis.net/imagination-and-creativity-in-vygotskys-works-seminar-series/

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Welcome to All Power to the Developing, a podcast of the East Side Institute. The Institute is a center for social change efforts that reinitiate human and community development. We support, connect, and partner with committed and creative activists, scholars, artists, helpers, and healers all over the world. In 2003, Institute co-founders Lois Holzman and the late Fred Newman had a paper published with the title “All Power to the Developing.” This phrase captures how vital it is for all people—no matter their age, circumstance, status, race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation—to grow, develop and transform emotionally, socially and intellectually if we are to have a shot at creating something positive out of the intense crises we’re all experiencing. We hope that this podcast series will show you that, far more than a slogan, “all power to the developing” is a loving activity, a pulsing heart in an all too cruel world.

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The East Side Institute is a hub for a diverse and emergent community of social activists, thought leaders, and practitioners who are reigniting our human abilities to imagine, create and perform beyond ourselves—to develop.  Each episode will introduce you to another performance activist or play revolutionary from around the world.To learn more about the East Side Institute you can go to https://eastsideinstitute.org/Made possible in part by Growing Social Therapeutics: The Baylah Wolfe Fund.