Politics, protest, and playing in public
I wouldn’t normally write two posts so close together, but I feel like I’m a little behind. And besides, I’ve been on strike this week. What else was I going to do?
Standing on the picket line, experiencing different kinds of protests and rallies, got me thinking about the value of play as a radical act. Play isn’t just about fun — it’s about imagining. And imagination is political, because it lets us picture a different order, a different system, a different way things could be.
Seen this way, play sits at the heart of protest. To be playful is to question the “normal” rules, and to ask what if…? Protest is, in many ways, a game of possibilities — a playful reshaping of how we might live together.
“Playing in public is a political act.” — De Koven (2013)
Bernard De Koven argues that beyond using playfulness as a tool for political expression or protest, the very act of playing in public is to make a statement that play is viable, necessary — and fun. To play openly is to say: play belongs here, for adults as much as children. It’s a quiet form of protest against any worldview that treats play as frivolous or improper, and by doing it publicly, we invite and permit others to do the same.
I was reminded of this on the picket lines this week. Amongst people I didn't know, in a situation that felt uncomfortable, I could feel myself being a bit reserved and holding something back. And yet, watching some of the people alongside me being openly, overtly playful, reminded me of just how important it is. By protesting playfully, whether I enjoyed or felt a part of their individual play or not, I was reminded that play isn't the norm. But the more playful individuals were, the more playful the group became, linking arms, singing, dancing, handing out biscuits, sharing stories. Whether they knew it or not, the playful picketers were not only protesting job cuts, but also sharing their political belief that playful is an appropriate way to be.
So, if you subscribe to the idea that adult play and playfulness are vital and important, let alone allowed, do something playful in public. It doesn't need to be loud, and it doesn't need to be new. Whistling Pink Pony Club while waiting at the bus stop. Smiling at passers by. Bocce drift. Whatever. But let people know that being playful is important; gift someone like me permission to let their playful self out. Lead by example. Be political. Play in public.
To find out more about the UCU Edinburgh strikes, click here.