II National Godly Play Conference

Last weekend (21-23 October), in Salou (Tarragona), we held our second national Godly Play conference. Twenty four teachers and friends of Godly Play took part, representing several regions in Spain: Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia & Madrid. There was also a group of young children -- the sons & daughters of some of the delegates -- who joined us at certain points in the programme, and delighted us with their presence and participation, and also enjoyed their own separate activities at other times.

The conference took place at the Casablanca Playa Hotel in Salou, and also at the Salou Evangelical Protestant Church, who hosted the event.

The weekend programme began with the reading of greetings from Jerome Berryman, founder of Godly Play, especially written for the conference. Other activities also included sessions of Godly Play; workshops on different topics, such as starting Godly Play in the local church, creating materials, new stories, and children's spirituality; a visit to the dedicated Godly Play space at the Salou Protestant Church; evening fun activities and times for sharing experiences and building friendships.

The main talks centred on the theme of 'A Safe Space'. Speaking from his perspective as a psychiatrist, Raúl García Pérez, reviewed Attachment Theory (Bowlby, Ainsworth, etc), linking it to spirituality (above all, the idea of God as a bonding or attachment figure) and several aspects relating to the practice of Godly Play; whilst psychologist, Ester Martínez Vera, spoke on the importance of the family as a 'safe space'.

An important part of the programme was devoted to creating and setting up the 'Godly Play Spain' association, with the reading and approval of the statutes, and the signing of the minutes by 16 founding members. As soon as the conference finished, these documents were handed in to the Spanish Home Ministry for the formal registry of the new association. It is hoped that the first AGM will be held in Galicia in April 2012, when the board of directors will be elected. This meeting will be combined with a lecture and a series of workshops in what is expected to be the first annual Godly Play Day. So, at the leaving ceremony in Salou, the delegates from Galicia gave their fellow conference members a warm welcome to the next event.
It was highly significant that, whilst the initial greeting at the II National Godly Play Conference was from our Founder (Jerome Berryman), the final prayer was spontaneously offered by one of the youngest children present. It was thus a clear sign that Godly Play is alive and well in several regions in Spain, and that members of different ages and generations are actively involved in its growth!

PHOTOS: 1. Dani García, from Sant Feliu de Llobregat (Barcelona) presents the parable of the Good Shepherd [(c) Laura Rísquez]; 2. Delegates at the II National Godly Play Conference [(c) Laura Rísquez].

More photos here