What if play is one of the most serious tools we have for learning?
Last week Jessica and I ran The Authenticity Experiment in Barcelona. Ten people, one room, and a real curiosity about what it means to show up authentically at work.
We opened with storytelling, then moved into improv games that looked playful on the surface, but were carefully designed to get people thinking differently about the topic. From there, we had a discussion around what authenticity means to each of us, when we’ve felt inauthentic, and what gets in the way of showing up more fully. Then we used role play and our Talk Show format to problem-solve together.
That’s the power of play in learning and development:
🎭 It lowers defensiveness, so people can explore difficult ideas more openly.🎭 It creates space to experiment, fail, and try again.
🎭 It builds transferable skills like communication, collaboration, flexibility, and confidence.
🎭 It helps people step into real-world scenarios in a way that feels safe, human, and engaging.
🎭 It makes learning memorable because people are doing, not just listening.
What I loved most was how quickly the room opened up. Play gave us a way in. It made space for reflection without pressure, and for honest conversation without it feeling heavy.
Laura’s testimonial says it all! She came because she was curious, having never done a workshop like this before, and her reflections captured exactly play works. When people experience something new and leave feeling more open, more confident, and more connected, that tells me the work is doing what it should.
Thank you again to Deepika Bhoolabhai and SOAR School Of Awakening and Re-creating for hosting us.
#authenticity #facilitation #creativelearning #learninganddevelopment #playbasedlearning #improv #roleplay #embodiedlearning #leadershipdevelopment #artsineducation
Elana Shyong 