Play in the Academy

Play is increasingly recognised as a powerful tool for thinking differently, fostering collaboration, sparking joy, and supporting wellbeing. However, it is often undervalued in professional environments. Led by Dr Alyssa Alcorn (University of Bristol), this project uses universities as sites to investigate how play already operates—or could operate—within multilayered organisations. Taking an inductive interdisciplinary approach and participatory methods, the group aim to develop a prototype vocabulary and conceptual framework for understanding play-at-work.