communities:
our offerings
Death Cafe
Death Cafés are a safe and open space to discuss death and dying. Members of the community gather in places such as libraries or art galleries to have a group-directed discussion of death with no specific agenda, objectives or themes – alongside some tea and cake.
Death cafés can be situated in a larger “Compassionate Communities” movement that involves concepts such as Death and Grief Literacy – knowledge about the process and tools offered for the death, dying, and bereaved (those who lost a loved one). However, instead of overtly providing information on death and dying, the aim of the café is to offer a space for organic discussion on death, facilitating a more organic method for individuals to engage with death-related topics).
Conscious Kids
Innovative educational approaches focused on conscious and holistic learning for children.
A free-play, nature-based approach to kids’ education, focussing on enhancing their connecting with nature and the environment, as well as their self-efficacy, curiosity, and compassion.
alternative education
Compassionate Communities
➝ honohono.net
Initiatives to build supportive and empathetic communities through various programs and networks.
This public health approach to end-of-life, palliative care applies initiatives that increase community capacity and support for the death, dying and bereaved – overall decreasing the building pressure on the palliative care system and leading to a greater collective quality of life.
health and wellbeing
projects and events
Playfully ➝ Play Festival
Play Festival was designed to promote creativity, connection, and playfulness. It is a celebration of cultural identity, diversity, inclusion, friendship, integration, wellbeing, and fun through play. The purpose of the Play Festival is to bring people together to celebrate these values through various playful activities. The vision is for the Play Festival to become a recurring event for the local community, fostering participation and involvement from everyone.
Aotearoa New Zealand showcases incredible social diversity with numerous community groups rich in ancient, fascinating cultures and traditions. Play is increasingly becoming a cornerstone strategy for promoting cultural diversity, inclusion, integration, health, and wellbeing. The Play Festival provides a unique opportunity for communities to come together, celebrate their cultures, and learn about each other in a meaningful, experiential, and inclusive manner. Traditional games, which are intergenerational and part of everyone's cultural identity, serve as a natural way to unite people without boundaries or discrimination.
The Play Festival originated from the strong belief of the founders of Conscious Kids Ltd. that play, especially traditional play, has immense power to promote integration, development, and wellbeing for people of all ages and backgrounds. Since its inception in 2015, Conscious Kids has grown to become one of New Zealand's leading play providers for children. As their own children grew, the founders felt compelled to extend their experience to the wider community, leading to the creation of Playfully Ltd. With a clear intention to offer play opportunities to all age groups, the Playfully team traveled overseas to observe, learn, and get inspired, eventually attending the "Tocatì" festival in Verona, Italy. Tocatì, launched nearly 20 years ago by the Associazione Giochi Antichi (Ancient Games Association), attracts over 400,000 people annually and has been recognized by UNESCO as a Global Intangible Cultural Heritage Good Practice. This festival inspired the creation of the Play Festival, aiming to replicate its success and cultural impact in New Zealand.