Highlights from Our Workshop at the Learning Planet Festival

Hello beautiful playmates!

We recently hosted an incredible workshop in collaboration with the “Yes, And… Higher Education Network (YAHE).” Themed "Embrace Uncertainty & Tap Into Collective Creativity” Embracing Uncertainty," it brought educators worldwide together for a heartfelt exploration of our unpredictable world. It took place at the  Learning Planet Festival, a 4-day gathering of hundreds of organizations, programs and networks that are part of the growing Globalization at the Grassroots movement.

Held on January 26th, the workshop was a culmination of numerous meetings and meticulous preparations to bring our collective ideas to life. Educators from diverse backgrounds engaged in dialogues through enjoyable activities, expressing emotions with sounds and gestures, while we joyfully philosophized. We formed a shared language that transcended linguistic barriers as well as common categories and labels that often give us the illusion of certainty.

In the enchanting "Yes, And Story" activity, participants co-created moments filled with love and support. The workshop fostered a sense of safety, allowing everyone to express themselves freely, embrace a feeling of wholeness, and realize the spontaneous community that had blossomed during the workshop. Throughout the session, the focus was on co-creating shared thoughts and feelings related to the uncertainty we all experience.  We were able to embrace uncertainty through our collective creative activity.

The workshop successfully explored the powerful mindset generated by "Yes, And" and applied improvisation, providing insights applicable in various developmental learning settings. The depth of reflection at the end affirmed the accomplishment of our objective.

Reflection comments from some participants:

• "As you know, I'm not the kind of person who finds it easy to play with others, and have a strong sense of ridicule... unless I'm performing! I find some activities with colleagues extremely embarrassing, and I hate to think such images are shared on video, but as I said today, it felt like a safe environment. I particularly liked to consider the collective story, a technique I use regularly in creative writing, from a different perspective (learning to deal with uncertainty)."
• "It was a fun workshop! The experience is quite unique and gives me a new perspective about so many things."
• "Although I don't do any formal teaching any more, I like to be informed about what responsible and creative educators are doing to deal with global concerns. I can also learn from workshops techniques I may be able to adapt and use myself!"