On October 24, 2015 come join InterPlayers from around the world gathering in local groups to celebrate the culmination of the 25th year of InterPlay. Atlanta guests, who will gather at First Christian Church of Decatur, will be connecting via live webcast to a dozen groups in other regions.
We will lift up the amazing ways that InterPlay has spread to other parts of the country and the world, honor wonderful leaders both in and around InterPlay communities with “Spirit of InterPlay” awards, hear inspiring stories, invite everyone to contribute and, of course, play.
Register online now!
Come experience the InterPlay movement by connecting and playing live with InterPlayers in over a dozen different cities!
One of the current goals of the celebration of our 25th year is to add 25 new people to the Giving Wings Society, the folks who make long-term (5 years), incremental (month by month or year by year) contributions to InterPlay. Learn more about this current Giving Wings initiative.
Other events will be held in Seattle, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Berkeley, Raleigh, Washington DC, Boston, New Haven or Des Moines. More about the events in other cities.
Leaders
Jennifer Denning, MSW
Jennifer is keenly interested in using the InterPlay forms to promote racial justice and healing and has collaborated in developing and leading the workshops “Sankofa Communities” and “Using Body Wisdom to Build Just Communities.” She directs InterPlay Atlanta's performance group, Soulprint Players. She launched InterPlay Atlanta’s programming with women in prison and has taught regularly at Trinity House and The Friendship Center. Jennifer has also worked as a professional actor and taught and directed with Synchronicity Theatre’s “Playmaking For Girls” program for over fifteen years. Her work has long centered on the intersection of creativity, spirituality and social justice.
Jennifer currently works as a financial social worker, using financial education as one tool to advance economic equity. She delights in weaving deep breaths, InterPlay storytelling forms, and body awareness into her workshops.
Jennifer is a former co-president of the Body Wisdom Board of Directors and a founding member of InterPlay's Racial Equity and Transformation committee.
Christine Gautreaux, MSW
Christine (she/her) is dedicated to the pursuit of play, joy, art & social justice. Christine’s superpowers include connecting people, helping folks manifest their dreams, standing up against injustice and using art to make a difference in the world.
She currently uses performance art, movement, poetry, storytelling and InterPlay to address issues of oppression with women who are incarcerated, people living with severe and persistent mental illness and homelessness. She also works with activists and artists to maintain balance and self-care during these intense times we find ourselves living.
Pivoting with the times Christine has been called an expert on Zoom and utilizes this online platform to facilitate connection and ease in an online, interactive learning environment.
Christine Gautreaux holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Social Work. She has professional experience with successful grant writing, community organizing and social media marketing. Christine is a life coach for caregivers who are burnt out and ready to take back their own life and make it delightful again. She is the co-author of Stillpoint: A Caregivers Playbook to find ease and to take a deep breath and reclaim joy and Women Connected in Wisdom: Stories and Resources Rooted in the 8 Dimensions of Wellnes V. I and V. II
Ruth Schowalter
Ruth Schowalter, visionary folk artist, communications educator, and creativity coach, co-founded InterPlay Sustaining International Sisters (SIS) with Canan Arikan in 2018. In 2019, SIS began Online Global SIS to offer InterPlay to women worldwide. In 2020, InterPlay SIS became a 501c3 with the Body Wisdom Office. As a certified InterPlay Leader and Life Practice Program Leader, Ruth is dedicated to bringing together women from diverse backgrounds (geographical, cultural, spiritual, racial, educational, and generational) through play. Within InterPlay, she found the structure to connect women in ways that support them and allows them to share, learn, and inspire one another. Ruth has an M.S. in Applied Linguistics and ESL and taught international students English communication at the university level for 30 plus years, applying InterPlay to her instruction since 2012. She found that InterPlay transformed her language classroom into a community of enlivened and engaged learners. She also brings her expertise to scientists and professionals in workshops, offering them fun new ways to communicate their research and ideas in public presentations. As an artist, Ruth stays engaged in the creative process and established the The Daily Creative Practice Group a decade ago on Facebook to insure that her own art, dreams, and creative ideas get priority while supporting others creative engagement. She is in her fourth year of offering a weekly Dance Chapel through Cynthia Winton-Henry's Hidden Monastery where she leads participants to blend movement, prayer, and making marks. In 2022, Ruth co-led a monthly Ensoulment Creativity Studio with Cynthia Winton-Henry. She exhibits her visionary work both online and offline. Once called a “sophisticated primitive” artist, her colorful figurative paintings and drawings express her inner world both from dreams and psychological meanderings. She lives in Decatur with her author husband, Anthony J. Martin and two cats, Tao and Sapelo.