What is Rechild?
Rechild is a made up word, combining the preposition 're' that means again and the word child. We believe children are the best teachers for play. No matter your age, joy is healthy and it nourishes our minds like food nourishes our bodies.
Through Playshops (playful workshops) Rechild will relearn how to play again. This multidisciplinary adventure is a personal journey and a way to connect with others. Our mission is to make time and space within a safe environment to help us breakdown the old norms that hold us back from play and flow.
What is Play and why Play?—
We say, why not!
In the words of Mallory Nezam “Play is nonsense! Yes it is. It is really important nonsense. The point of play is that there really is no point. How liberating is that! In a world that is product-obsessed, that’s end-orientated, to be in a moment and share an experience with the people around you is kind of a radical thing.
I think the power of play has this incredible capacity to disarm us, to tear down these barriers that we build up within ourselves and walls we build between each other, and make that solid parts a little more liquid and permeable so that we can really connect.”
'Play' is a word we use in a lot of different contexts. You can play an instrument, play music, play with your friends or watch a play. For the sake of making things simple here we will use psychologist Dr. Peter Gray’s research. He is known for his work on the interaction between education and play he points out five different characteristics:
It is self-chosen and self-directed
Play is what one wants to do, as opposed to what one feels obliged to do. In play we have people playing outside making up the rules of their own play.
It's Stress Free
Play is not a response to external demands, and because the ends do not have immediate consequences in the real world.
It is guided by mental rules and leaves room for creativity
Play always has structure, and that structure comes from rules in the players’ minds. Anyone may propose rules, but the rules must be agreeable to all.
It is imaginative
By saying “Imagine that…” anything is possible.
Play provides the engine for cultural innovations because it develops creativity and the ability to think in ways that go beyond the real world and the concrete here-and-now.
It has intrinsic motivation
People who play themselves think for themselves, it’s done for its own sake more than for some external reward. The players train their imagination and motivation.
Play is what one wants to do, as opposed to what one feels obliged to do. In play we have people playing outside making up the rules of their own play.
It's Stress Free
Play is not a response to external demands, and because the ends do not have immediate consequences in the real world.
It is guided by mental rules and leaves room for creativity
Play always has structure, and that structure comes from rules in the players’ minds. Anyone may propose rules, but the rules must be agreeable to all.
It is imaginative
By saying “Imagine that…” anything is possible.
Play provides the engine for cultural innovations because it develops creativity and the ability to think in ways that go beyond the real world and the concrete here-and-now.
It has intrinsic motivation
People who play themselves think for themselves, it’s done for its own sake more than for some external reward. The players train their imagination and motivation.
We care about mental health. The need to play is as fundamental as our need for food and sleep no matter your age, joy is healthy.
Multiple research studies have proven the negative impact that the lack of play brings, such as youth depression, poor adaptability or mood-driven behavior.
“The opposite of play is not work, it is depression”
- Stuart Brown
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Multiple research studies have proven the negative impact that the lack of play brings, such as youth depression, poor adaptability or mood-driven behavior.
“The opposite of play is not work, it is depression”
- Stuart Brown
Who are We?
Imre
is an experience maker which reconnects people with their expression through playfulness. He is passionate about bringing people into motion, to gather and improvise. He is an authentic theatre teacher and director. He has a fascination for human interaction and to experience the world from a performance perspective. With his new movement Rechild he is passionate about connecting people within themselves to the people around them. Imre believes in a more collaborative and regenerative society starting together now, by play!
What started as an investigation, using theater methodology to analyse human interaction, slowly grew into a fascination of connecting people, from within themselves to the people around them.
I think that most of the people have lost the urge and the ability to play. My mission is to make time and space within a safe environment to help us break down the old rules and norms that hold us back from that play-state. I open a space that encourages people to discover the power of play by offering classes and playshops.
Rechild is not about being childish or going back to your childhood trauma's. For me it’s about resense simple things and start to be curious, like children automatically do. From being present and curious, play will come and connection will arise.
Aminta
I’m originally from Guatemala, but my endless curiosity led me to travel and explore the world since I was 18.
Throughout my life I had to unlearn and relearn patterns, beliefs and societal norms or what’s considered “right or wrong” over and over, which now I treasure as a skill that comes very handy.
I’m a creative passion driven problem solver, I don’t like to assign tags to anything or anyone, so it’s very difficult for me to assign one to myself.
I use my heart as a lighthouse, it is the only thing that guides me, some people call it gut feeling or instinct.
Guided by my heart I played Dorothy for a season in a theater in Guatemala, I practiced non verbal improv in London, founded and directed my own talent agency in Mexico City, created an online blog to document myself playing with clothes, it became so popular it had hundreds of thousands of
monthly views, a blog that took me to TV, magazines in Indonesia, Germany, Tokyo, Spain and towards the end brought me to America to direct the most fun, colorful and inclusive clothing company, We Love Colors.
I also do performance art, I build my own sculptural costumes, paint with my body on giant canvases or with my feet with my eyes closed, I ran naked around the desert all painted in blue pretending to be an alien. I created NFTs with my artwork, attended and actively participated in various Crypto conferences to learn about the power of blockchain and its possible positive impact in the world. I have also had my artwork featured on bus shelters and billboards in the US.
I have spent hundreds of hours and sleepless nights building Rechild in the past few months.
Life to me is a playground, I find joy in the trees, in the ants, I lay down on the floor and feel the weight of my
body, I cry when I listen to a song I love, I’m crying as I type this. I dance on my own and sing out loud.
I’m never not learning, never not evolving,
never not playing.
So who am I, what am I? I still don’t know and may never know, but I’m ok with it.
Should we play though?
Food for Thought—
Rechild isn’t alone in seeing that play is an important key element in our lives. There are many articles, TED Talks and scientific research about the importance of play. Here we listed some of our favorites for you to play around and learn why we do what we do.
Play-ticles
“Think about how kids are excited all the time,” Mr. Harry said. “That’s basically what we’re all trying to get back to.” This New York Times article is about what play is and how we can get there as grown-ups.
The National Institute for play website gives a lot of information about the importance of play, not only for children but especially for adults. Please also read other articles on the website, like ‘How We Play’ and ‘Play Personalities’.
In this article read Part 4. ‘The Characteristics of Play’ and if you want the complete story read also Part 1. ‘Stages of Play’, Part 2. ‘Born to Play’, Part 3. ‘Types of Play’ and Part 5. ‘Adult Roles in Child’s life’.
“The opposite of play if not work. It is depression”. In this article Allen Baird explores the medicinal value of play and practical ways to incorporate it into working life to help people's mental health.
Play-talks
By far the most inspirational Ted Talks about the importance of play by Dr. Stuart Brown, who is the founder of the National Institute for Play where he studies the scientific knowledge on play behavior and its implications in everyday life.
Dr. John Cohn - the self confessed nerd in his colored coat - says he’s at his most creative, influential, productive and happy when he is playful at his work. By playful he means being in a state of childlike innocence. Playfulness is not just about enjoying your work, you get more creative at work, as studies show.
Scientific Play-search
In this article Rutger Bregman, author of HumanKind, writes about why even children lost the capability of play. He comes with interesting facts and a good distinction between game and play.