In the wake of the pandemic in 2020, a spark ignited that would alter the landscape of building community and creativity. 75 passionate performance and play activists—improvisers, educators, musicians, actors, playwrights, scholars, clowns, therapists, and coaches—came together over Zoom, united by a shared mission: to support one another and thousands of our fellow humans across 50 countries as we navigated the storm of COVID-19.

What began as a heartfelt response to a global crisis has blossomed into something extraordinary.

Fast forward four years, and GPB has transformed from a hopeful experiment into a dynamic global movement, reaching almost 16,000 people from 100 countries. We now boast a vibrant community of 130 dedicated volunteers, all committed to fostering connections and creating new possibilities for social change through the transformative power of play. We’ve set our sights firmly on the future, going beyond the “carcasses of the past” and embracing a bold vision: Make Play Mainstream.

Our journey keeps evolving. Initially, we hosted spontaneous play workshops every week. Today, we are proud to be leaders within a global movement that shines a light on the importance of play in various mainstream spheres of life. In 2024, our thematic global play shops delve(d) into three vital areas:

1. Play in Mental Health: Exploring how play can heal and nurture our emotional well being
2. Play in Education: Empowering educators and students to weave play into the fabric of learning and development
3. Play in Grassroots Activism: Harnessing the energy, science and art of play to inspire, support and create social change

We’ve expanded our reach by launching regional hubs across Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America, and most recently, Africa! In 2023, we introduced the Global Educators Salon, a space designed to empower teachers and educators to integrate play into their classrooms, fostering creativity and engagement among students and faculty alike.

But that’s not all. We’re excited about other new initiatives, including the inaugural GPB Ambassador Program of 2024 where we are training and supporting activists to promote and advocate play and the GPB in their countries, and the GPB Play Generator, a  Web-based Application that facilitates instantaneous play everyday and for everyone at the touch of a button. We’re also nurturing a promising relationship with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), and other partnerships with play and performance activists in education, leadership and mental health causes around the globe are growing stronger by the day.

As we celebrate this journey, we’re filled with gratitude and excitement for the future. Here’s to our four years of creativity, connection and joy so far—and to many more to come. Let’s keep playing!