by Katie Piatt
This November, I’ll be stepping down as Co-Chair of the Playful Learning Association (PLA), following on from the end of my term as Playful Learning Conference Co-Chair in July. It feels like a good moment to pause and reflect on what has been a huge part of my professional life for many years.
While I’ve served as PLA Co-Chair since 2019, my connection with the community goes right back to the beginning. Like many others, I was inspired by the work of Nic Whitton, Alex Moseley and the growing band of people who believed that play had a place in higher education. At the beginning, it was just an idea. Now it’s a thriving international community.
One of the real privileges of being involved for so long is seeing that growth firsthand. What started as a relatively small group of enthusiasts has become a global community of educators, researchers, librarians and students who are passionate about creating engaging adult learning experiences. Somehow, we’ve managed to stay welcoming, supportive and a little bit silly along the way.
There have been plenty of highlights. Hosting the conference for three years at Sussex will always be one of them. Winning a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) in 2024 was another. While I was proud to lead the submission, what made the award special was that it recognised something much bigger than any one person. The PLA has always been a collective effort, powered by people who generously share ideas, encouragement, time and enthusiasm.
I’ve also been incredibly lucky in the people I’ve worked alongside. First Alex, and then Andy, who’ve given countless hours to making things happen. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that leadership is much less about having the answers and much more about creating opportunities for other people to shine. Some of my favourite moments have been watching someone present for the first time, lead a session and discover a professional community where they feel they’ve finally found their tribe.
Perhaps that’s why I’m stepping down feeling more excited than sad. The PLA is in a really strong position. A new co-chair will be announced soon and I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing what the next leadership team brings. Every new partnership adds something different, and I’m certain they will bring their own ideas, strengths and personality to the role while continuing to support Andy, our fantastic committee and the wider community.
I’m also quite looking forward to being released back into the wild!
After years of helping to organise conferences, committee meetings, award submissions and all the behind-the-scenes activity that keeps things running, it will be nice to simply turn up, join in, attend sessions, have conversations and enjoy everything the PLA offers without worrying about what’s happening backstage. I’ll still be there, just with considerably fewer things on my to-do list.
The PLA has given me friendships, opportunities, confidence and more learning than I could possibly quantify. It’s been an enormous privilege to help shape part of its journey.
Now I’m looking forward to experiencing the next chapter as a member, cheering on the next generation of leaders, and seeing what fresh ideas emerge. If my years with the PLA have taught me anything, it’s that the most interesting things tend to happen when talented people are given the space to play.
To everyone who has been part of the journey: thank you for your ideas, your generosity, your friendship and your willingness to keep making higher education a little more playful. It’s been a privilege.
See you at the next event. This time, I’ll be the one enjoying it without checking the risk assessment. As for who’s taking over those responsibilities… all will be revealed soon!
Katie x