What would it be like if you actually wanted to think or talk or do something about climate change, rather than only feeling that you should? Last May, a group of enthusiastic UM students joined the Climate Play workshop and got to work! Using LEGO® Serious Play®, they put their logical brains to the side and thought with their hands, resulting in surprising new insights and food-for-thought.
‘It often feels like people tend to avoid conversations about climate change’, tells Maria Zielinska, who recently graduated from the School of Business and Economics. ‘Even within my master’s programme Sustainability Science, Policy and Society I noticed this. Whereas it becomes more and more urgent to break open the conversation and start feeling comfortable discussing this highly important topic that concerns all of us.’
Together with Klimaat Actie Netwerk (KAN) Maastricht, Maria took the initiative to bring Climate Play from the UK to Maastricht. The engaging workshop is all about addressing a big issue by tapping into our creativity. The creative approach can make serious matters more approachable and less overwhelming. Through play-based learning, Lucy Hawthorne, initiator of Climate Play, helps people to engage more deeply, honestly and creatively on climate change. Making it safe, light and fun to face the topic.
‘People say that work is serious, play is a luxury and that time is short. But being seriously playful can be very impactful. Through play we can unleash our imagination and beliefs, hone our communication and untap our personal motivations’ – Lucy Hawthorne
‘I met Lucy at an event in London’, Maria recalls. ‘Lucy made a great impact on my personal climate journey and her methodology impressed me profoundly. Thanks to the grant, we were able to bring her all the way from Bristol to Maastricht. Welcoming her at our university instead of organising the workshop online was crucial for its success. Lucy arrived with a suitcase full of LEGO bricks. The participants worked around a big table. Lucy gave us prompts that allowed us to move quickly and respond without overthinking – such as building barriers we encounter when working on climate change.’ The quick, hands-on nature of the activities helped participants express complex ideas more easily through their own creations. The workshop created a safe space for everyone to engage in conversations about climate change.
Maria: ‘Given the positive response, it would be great if this could become a recurring event at Maastricht University. Lucy is considering training others to use her techniques, which could broaden the scope and impact of these workshops. Ideally, this could become a staple in the university’s extracurricular offerings, tuning in on the softer, creative side of climate work.’
‘To other students who consider applying for a CooSa grant I would say: just go for it! It is a great learning experience and it’s rewarding to see your ideas come to life and create opportunities for others.’
Are you a student at UM and do you have an idea for an event/project? At the University Fund Limburg, we are eager to reward good initiatives by students for students. After all, they contribute to a thriving university community. That is why the CooSa committee annually provides subsidies specifically aimed at activities by UM students. Click here for more info.