Catalysing creativity, connectivity and conviviality with people, in places.

CoralCivicJoy

Coral Fellows, Civic Joy
Coral Fellows · June 2026 · Just for you

Thanks for
being curious.

About this project

Playful Anywhere has its feet in the field, working with communities, high streets, neighbourhoods and city centres to support the conditions for local play, creativity and civic life. That's the serious, sustained, long-term work.

But we kept hearing something else. People wanted to grow their own confidence in catalysing joy in civic spaces, globally, locally, wherever they were. They wanted to experiment, to reflect, to do it in a community of practice. To egg each other on a bit.

The Civic Joy Experiments are our response to that. A light touch, deliberately small, deliberately open. One hour a week. Your patch. See what happens.

If you want to know more about the wider practice, it's all at playfulanywhere.fun

The experience of being a Coral Fellow has been wonderful and our gathering on 2nd June has left me buzzing. It's genuinely affirming to be in your company and learn a small snippet of what you are currently exploring in your work and places.

If you are curious about the Civic Joy Collective, it came about as a question on the internet about six weeks ago, asking if people would like to spare an hour a week.

www.playfulanywhere.fun/civic-joy

We had 47 people from around the world sign up. They'll be receiving a pack just like yours, an invite to a WhatsApp group, pen friend Play Pals, and a meetup in a month.

Nobody knows each other. Yet.

This page is just for Coral Fellows. Nobody else can see it.

Here are some of the reasons they said they wanted to take part.

In their own words
King's Cross
I believe places can be made to have the capacity to enable playfulness. I believe in this as a right for all humans. We must resist the idea that it isn't possible. I believe we must disobey.
Boise, Idaho
It's all place hardware and usually driven by budgets. I rarely get a chance to explore the software, how and who the place serves. I need a regular prompt to seek that, because that's where joy and meaning live.
Karachi
I find my most authentic self when playing. I've lost a bit of my playfulness due to the burden of work, so I'm hoping this would help me reconnect with my inner joy and learn from others along the way.
Hungerford
I think joy is most joyful when participatory as opposed to silent and stealthy!
Bodmin, Cornwall
Small, playful moments can change our relationship with place. It's prompted us to write a play policy into our business plan, a commitment to bring more curiosity and lightness into our work.
Vancouver
When we live in high-density urban spaces, we are surrounded by the gift to co-create these experiences with so many potential playmates.
Armley, Leeds
I'm in it to meet my neighbours and invite in the chaos.
Kirkstall, Leeds
The grassroots no pressure vibe of this project. Tried doing it the official way and the haters shut it down. Doing it for the kids. The older generation are not the ones who get to dictate our future anymore.

If you fancy joining in, no pressure. Here is how.

If you'd like to

Join the Civic Joy Collective

1
Your pack has everything you need
Four weeks of prompts starting 11 June, International Day of Play. Your patch, your pace, your experiment. Full prompts at playfulanywhere.fun/civicjoycollective
2
Join the WhatsApp group
A space for the wider collective to swap notes and find each other. Low pressure. Lurk if you prefer.

Join the group
3
LinkedIn group
Share your patch notes and find other civic joy experimenters. Join the LinkedIn group
4
Online gathering
The whole collective meets online on Tuesday 15 July, 8pm to 9pm GMT. An invitation will arrive by email. You're welcome.

It's entirely up to you. We are not the play police.

Whatever you fancy. Feel free to pass the pack on to other friends, or use the ingredients completely differently to what we've set out.

We're keen to learn and adapt and see how we spore.