Dana Keller
After a 20-year career as a consultant in corporate training and communications, I am excited to be among the first to graduate from Arizona State University in the School of Social Transformation with a Masters in Social and Cultural Pedagogy. Although social and cultural pedagogy studies have existed in both Europe and South America for decades, the program is the first of its kind in North America. Since the program focuses on "The study of 'learning beyond schooling'" and "focuses on research, theory and practice related to non-formal education throughout the lifespan," it builds on my corporate experience while allowing me to "explore new playgrounds."
My research focuses on play across the lifespan. While much research has been done on developmental play for children through adolescence, very little has focused on how and why we play after we reach adulthood. My personal experiences with play have shown me that it is vital to a happy, healthy life, and—perhaps even more importantly—serious play can open up new possibilities for real solutions to real problems. Play has been misunderstood as something frivolous, unimportant, and a nice-to-have rather than a need-to-have (for people of all ages). I am on a mission to change that.
I also have a graduate certificate in Socially Engaged Practice. Socially Engaged Practice (SEP) goes by a lot of other names: new genre public art (from artist Suzanne Lacy), participatory art, relational aesthetics, socially engaged art, socially collaborative art, community cultural development, and social practice (and I'm sure there are more!). My definition is this: the application of artistic methods within a community, in collaboration with community members, to address an issue of importance in a way that creates a significant space for the possibility of individual and collective agency. Part of what interests me about SEP is that it is one way of "playing" with serious subjects. While the arts are not always playful, in socially engaged practice performing and visual arts can by used by communities to play together (in a "whole body" way: physically, verbally, emotionally, etc.) and open up possibilities for new ways of being and discovering innovative solutions to challenging, entrenched problems. In that sense, SEP is serious play and I consider it an important tool in my play warrior toolbox.
I hope you'll take the time to explore, comment, share, and yes...PLAY!...here on this website and in all areas of your life. Thanks for exploring new playgrounds!
My research focuses on play across the lifespan. While much research has been done on developmental play for children through adolescence, very little has focused on how and why we play after we reach adulthood. My personal experiences with play have shown me that it is vital to a happy, healthy life, and—perhaps even more importantly—serious play can open up new possibilities for real solutions to real problems. Play has been misunderstood as something frivolous, unimportant, and a nice-to-have rather than a need-to-have (for people of all ages). I am on a mission to change that.
I also have a graduate certificate in Socially Engaged Practice. Socially Engaged Practice (SEP) goes by a lot of other names: new genre public art (from artist Suzanne Lacy), participatory art, relational aesthetics, socially engaged art, socially collaborative art, community cultural development, and social practice (and I'm sure there are more!). My definition is this: the application of artistic methods within a community, in collaboration with community members, to address an issue of importance in a way that creates a significant space for the possibility of individual and collective agency. Part of what interests me about SEP is that it is one way of "playing" with serious subjects. While the arts are not always playful, in socially engaged practice performing and visual arts can by used by communities to play together (in a "whole body" way: physically, verbally, emotionally, etc.) and open up possibilities for new ways of being and discovering innovative solutions to challenging, entrenched problems. In that sense, SEP is serious play and I consider it an important tool in my play warrior toolbox.
I hope you'll take the time to explore, comment, share, and yes...PLAY!...here on this website and in all areas of your life. Thanks for exploring new playgrounds!
