A Reflection on InterPlay's Art & Social Change Program for Millennials

by Foluke Beveridge

Had I never experienced InterPlay before, I would not have known WHAT I was letting myself in for at this program and might never have been involved at all. God forbid! Since I’ve had a few interactions with InterPlay and InterPlayers, I knew that I sought more ideas of how the InterPlay philosophy translated to starting important dialogues. I found that and more at InterPlay’s Millennial Training in Arts and Social Change.

Millennial InterPlayers Neesha and Kelsey enjoying lunch (prepared by Kelsey) with InterPlay co-founder Phil Porter during Arts and Social Change

I got to go to California for the first time; I made friends/family; I found focus sessions; I was free to roll around on the floor and make noise, encouraged to breathe, pushed myself to experience new things and had an overwhelming feeling of being taken care of, mind, body and spirit. It was painful and wonderful, I cried and I laughed, I got better at listening to what my body told me. I listened to the point that I knew it was time for me to make a huge decision: I cut my hair. It was product of the burden of maintenance and the burden of beauty (or conquering the fear of somehow losing it) and after being around a group of spirits who really saw me, I realized that I could relinquish my hair.  At 26, I really cut it for the first time in my life and I love it. I love and thank my new family for being part of that transformative process.

Now that I’m back in Atlanta (sighhh), I look forward to finding ways to incorporate InterPlay into my personal life as well as in my professional life as a teaching artist at Moving in the Spirit and becoming more involved with the Atlanta InterPlay community.

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My first week in Oakland, I had the pleasure of experiencing “Wing It,” InterPlay Oakland’s performance group. I was so inspired and my spirit so moved by the experience (especially on the heels of my first few days of Arts and Social Change) that I felt that the only way to release it would be to write. The following is what came out.

"I Am InterPlay"

Whirling whooshingness in my spirit,
That thing I've been seeking
That freewheeling, free feeling
I'm out but have never been more inside of my body
Something, some holy spirit rushing inside that leaves behind it
A wisdom, two wisdoms, three wisdoms. The wisdom where thought is merely the vehicle to get it out, not the means to lock it in
Oh, the slipping sliding and getting loose and more punch than a bowl of juice, of course
Eating delicious and being yummy
Taking care and being the care
Oversharing. But not because it's just enough sharing and no one can escape your (or my) willingness to share because you're (or I'm) open and upon entry into the space you (actually you) become fair game to be open with
And breathe when you can't afford to take breath for granted when life has carved a space in your chest and steals your breath when you need it most and hides it there. Away from you. Inside of you.
When I play, I can go in after it.
When I play, I can enter in.
I am InterPlay.

Saturday getaway at Montara State Beach in Pacifica with Millennial friends. Samaya (InterPlay Leader Soyinka Rahim's goddaughter) plays in the surf!