Origin story.

Playtivism creates spaces for experimentation and multidisciplinary play in activism. Coined by TED Senior Fellow Yana Buhrer Tavanier, the concept was first introduced in her 2019 TED Talk.

This website was created in response to the overwhelming interest in the talk (nearly 2 million views) and the follow up NPR feature, and a growing demand for deeper insights from activists worldwide.

Yana is the co-founder and executive director of Fine Acts, a global nonprofit creative studio for social impact, fostering this approach. Fine Acts operates at the intersections of advocacy, art, tech, and science, and works across issues, geographies, and mediums. The studio develops experimental, collaborative formats that engage activists, artists, technologists, and scientists in cross-disciplinary creative play. Rooted in scientific insights on what makes people care, all of Fine Acts’ public art interventions, videos, installations, books, board games, and illustrations are rooted in hope, joy, and openness.

Fine Acts’ campaigns and art actions foster public understanding and engagement on a range of social and environmental issues. We also support organizations globally through training, open resources, and tailored creative solutions. Learn more about our current work and how to collaborate with us.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to the key supporters of Playtivism: the Allianz Foundation, for providing a dedicated fellowship, funding, and support, which paved the way for the development of new formats, tools, and resources; TED, through its Fellows and Residency programs, for providing the space and resources to develop the idea, and for giving it a global platform; and the Fulbright Program, for advancing its early development through a dedicated scholarship.