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InterPlay Points of Collaboration
💻 Online 🗓 First Wednesdays ⏰ 12 PM ET | 11 AM CT | 9 AM PT |
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This 90-minute monthly gathering welcomes BIPOC and Peoples of the Global Majority community members from around the world. No experience is needed—come as you are to play, connect, and share in this warm, welcoming space within the InterPlay Beloved Community.
SAVE THE DATE for next sessions:
- Wednesday, August 5
- Wednesday, September 2
- Wednesday, October 7
- Wednesday, November 4
- Wednesday, December 2
To ensure you're on the contact list, email 📧 BIPOC@interplay.org A reminder will be sent prior to each meeting if you join the contact list.
📍Same Zoom link for all sessions Meeting ID: 659 088 4231 Passcode: POP123
Click button to...
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We're delighted to introduce Sandra Wairimu, an InterPlay Art and Social Change Program 2025 Alum and InterPlay Leader in Training (LiT). Sandra is a member of the InterPlay BIPOC (People of the Global Majority) community whose participation reflects ongoing engagement in embodied practice, creative leadership, and collective learning within InterPlay.
Below is a Q&A with Sandra in her own words: |
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📣 A Special Announcement! We're Going Annual! 🎉
The InterPlay BIPOC (People of the Global Majority) In-Person Retreat is returning! Save the Date: May 27–30, 2027
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Mark your calendar and join us for another unforgettable experience of connection, restoration, healing, and joy.
We hope these stories inspire connection, restoration, and joy wherever you are. We look forward to gathering with you again in 2027!
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A Restoring the Well Welcome Meditation by Shilpa Shah from Goa, India |
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We invite you to revisit the opening spirit of the Restoring the Well Retreat through this beautiful welcome meditation offered by our beloved InterPlay friend and playmate, Shilpa of Goa, India.
Although Shilpa—affectionately known as Shimmery Starfish—was unable to join us this year, she generously shared this heartfelt gift with our community. We are delighted to share it with you here.
Thank you, Shilpa, for your wisdom, presence, and loving contribution. |
Goa is a coastal state in western India, known for its rich cultural heritage, beautiful beaches, and vibrant blend of Indian and Portuguese influences. Its capital city is Panaji (also called Panjim). |
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Shilpa is an artist, writer and teacher of restful embodiment practices. She believes rest is deeply decolonial. She moves between Goa, her birthplace in the UK and Iceland, where she honours her lifelong soul connection with the whales. She leads regular online whale-themed sessions centred around deep rest meditation and collaborative creativity. You can contact her via instagram: @ShimmeryStarfishArts or email shilpashah23@gmail.com |
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Testimonial from Restoring the Well InterPlay BIPOC (People of the Global Majority)—by Tank Harper, Chattanooga, TN |
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| The gathering was just like the title stated—that’s the experience I had. It truly felt like I was Restoring the Well through community.
There’s something about waking up together, singing together, dancing together, sharing meals, and sharing stories. Being curious about each other, being vulnerable, and having that time to share in community. It’s something I don’t get often in my own world, back where I’m from. It’s always special to have those shared experiences. |
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I also think having an intergenerational space was really important to me. It was very healing and restoring, and it helped me remember how humans are supposed to live. We’ve become so disconnected across generations. I was able to play music, sing, and dance with people of all generations—to learn from each other, get curious, and expand our awareness of one another—especially since we came from so many different places.
I feel like I have a deeper connection now to more people who look like me, more people who share the same interests as me, and who genuinely care about community and embodiment—who make that a priority. Knowing your body and your mind, being aware and present, is really special—especially when you get to do it in community. |
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Enjoy candid moments from the Restoring the Well Retreat, beautifully captured by Tank Harper, who generously volunteered as our retreat photographer. |
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| Through Tank's lens, you'll find authentic images of connection, creativity, joy, and community that reflect the spirit of our time together. We invite you to explore the gallery and relive these meaningful moments—or experience them for the first time. |
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We'd also love to see the retreat through your eyes. If you captured special moments during the retreat, we invite you to add your photos and videos to the community gallery. Your contributions help tell the full story of our shared experience and preserve the memories, connections, and joy we created together. |
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Tanqueray (Tank) Harper is an interdisciplinary teaching artist and community engagement photographer based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Their work blends movement, mindfulness, storytelling, photography, and arts-integrated education to support creativity, embodiment, and connection. Through community-centered projects and teaching, Tank invites deeper relationship with self, others, and the more-than-human world. |
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RESTORING THE WELL A Weekend of Joy, Healing, Community...and the Enduring Light of Sol by C. Renee Morris |
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Can You Describe Joy?
InterPlay is one of those experiences that seems almost impossible to explain. I often tell people that describing InterPlay to someone who has never experienced it is like trying to describe your favorite dessert to someone who has never tasted it. You can explain every ingredient. You can talk about the texture, the sweetness, the aroma. But until they take that first bite—they simply cannot know. |
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"There is something restorative that happens when people gather to move, sing, play, and simply be human together."
Tanqueray (Tank) Harper |
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That's what makes inviting someone to the InterPlay BIPOC retreat such an act of faith. You hope they'll come. You hope they'll trust. And you hope they'll discover for themselves what words alone cannot convey. Thankfully... They did.
Twenty-Four People. Countless Stories. One Community.
Over Memorial Day Weekend—May 22–24, 2026—twenty-four People of the Global Majority gathered from across the United States at Laurelville Retreat Center in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, for the annual InterPlay BIPOC Retreat.
Nestled in the peaceful Laurel Highlands, Laurelville offered the perfect setting for restoration: wooded trails, natural springs, a labyrinth, quiet spaces for reflection, and room enough to breathe deeply again.
Some participants had practiced InterPlay for decades. Some were Certified InterPlay Leaders or Leaders-in-Training. Twelve participants were experiencing the InterPlay BIPOC Retreat for the very first time. By the end of the weekend, titles mattered very little. We had become community. Restoring the Well
This year's theme emerged from a simple truth. Many of us have spent years pouring into our families, our communities, our work, and movements for justice. Many have experienced profound grief. Many are navigating uncertain times. Many simply arrived tired. The invitation was simple: Come restore your well. And that's exactly what happened. There was singing. There was dancing. There was storytelling. There was shape and stillness. There were tears. There was laughter and drumming that echoed through the lodge long after sessions ended. There was delicious food shared around tables where strangers quickly became family. There was play. There was healing. |
Our Bodies Remember
For the first time in the history of the InterPlay BIPOC Retreat, the weekend featured a national guest facilitator. We were honored to welcome fellow InterPlayer LaVerne Baker Hotep, Program Coordinator and National Faculty Trainer with the Traumatic Stress Institute at Klingberg Family Centers.
Her three-hour plenary, Our Bodies Remember, invited participants into a profound exploration of historical trauma, intergenerational healing, resilience, and the wisdom our bodies carry.
Drawing upon more than thirty years of trauma-informed practice in the United States and internationally, LaVerne created a courageous space where healing could unfold naturally.
Participants described the experience as powerful, transformative, and deeply affirming.
No One Complained About the Rain
Getting to Laurelville required determination.
Much like Oleta Adams sings in Get Here, participants came by plane, train, and automobile.
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| Thanks to the extraordinary coordination of Masankho Banda and Da'Shonda Parks (InterPlay | Body Wisdom, Inc. Administrative Director), airport and train pickups became extensions of the retreat itself.
Rain greeted us. Cold temperatures lingered. Not once did anyone complain. Instead, there was gratitude. Gratitude to simply be together. Sometimes joy isn't the absence of difficult weather. Sometimes joy is deciding the weather doesn't matter because the company is that good. |
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"The gathering was just like the title stated—that's the experience I had. It felt like I was restoring the well by way of community. There's something about waking up together, singing together, dancing together, sharing meals and sharing stories..." — Tank Harper |
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| Every retreat has moments people remember forever. This year...
Many of those moments carried the joyful spirit of John Curtis Stovall, lovingly known as Sol.
I first met Sol during the January 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. InterPlay gathering at InterPlayce in Oakland, California. A close friend of an active InterPlay Leader, Sol accepted my invitation to attend the retreat—and he showed up with his whole heart. |
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| Throughout the weekend he offered massages to participants.
He InterPlayed. He drummed. He danced. He laughed. He listened. Most importantly, he helped everyone else feel at home. |
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Peace and Harmony
The closing Deep Play in Nature session offered one final gift.
As sunshine finally broke through after two days of rain, participants gathered in an open field surrounded by a circular promenade.
Nearby, another retreat of nearly two hundred southeast Asians from India were enjoying their gathering.
What happened next could never have been scheduled. It simply unfolded.
Through music, movement, curiosity, and joy, Sol invited both communities into one shared experience.
Soon the grassy field was alive with dancing, laughter, embraces, and celebration.
Voices from both gatherings joyfully proclaimed together:
"We stand for peace and harmony!" It was one of those moments that reminds us exactly why InterPlay exists. |
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Carrying His Light Forward
Just weeks after the retreat, on June 18, 2026, our beloved Sol died unexpectedly.
The news has been heartbreaking for everyone who knew and loved him.
Yet it somehow feels impossible to think of Sol without smiling.
He lived with extraordinary generosity. He carried joy lightly.
He reminded us that healing often begins with simple acts of kindness, playfulness, presence, and love.
His physical presence is no longer with us. His spirit most certainly is. Every dance circle. Every drumbeat. Every spontaneous laugh. Every embrace. Every invitation to "come play." These now carry a little of Sol with them. |
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Until We Gather Again...
Each year the InterPlay BIPOC Retreat grows richer. The friendships deepen. The healing expands. The laughter becomes louder. The community becomes stronger. |
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"Be a rainbow in somebody else's cloud." — Maya Angelou |
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| The 2026 Restoring the Well Retreat reminded us that restoration isn't something we find alone. It lives in community. It lives in movement. It lives in story. It lives in song. It lives in our willingness to show up fully for one another. And thanks to beautiful souls like Sol, it continues to live on in each of us. |
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May we continue restoring one another's wells—with joy, courage, compassion, play, and love. Until we gather again...
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Share Your Retreat Experience We invite you to share a testimony, reflection, or noticing from your time at the Restoring the Well Retreat. Whether it's a meaningful moment, a new insight, or a story of connection and growth, your words can inspire and encourage others while helping us celebrate the impact of our shared experience. |
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Remembering John Curtis Stovall known to HUE-Manity as Sol |
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A word from InterPlayer and Master Numerologist, LaVerne Baker Hotep About Sol’s Number
“His numbers show him as a Spiritual Light Messenger. Total Balance between the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine, who came to heal, bring people together in community, and use his power to serve humanity. Well done, Precious One.”
LaVerne Baker Hotep
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| We Share Sol Musics From Sacred Space
Spotify Playlist for Sol * Curated with Love By Toni McClendon
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🌟 New Feature in The Playful HUE Newsletter
Hey family! Litha and I are introducing a new section to feature members of the InterPlay Global Majority-BIPOC Community—new faces or longtime members. This is a chance to share the beauty of this community and highlight the ways members are shaping humanity in their communities.
Take a moment to complete this form so we can get to know each other better. Form link: https://forms.gle/zwfGgN2DUovrR7Vw8
✨ Come play, connect, and celebrate with us!
Carolyn Renée InterPlay Liaison to BIPOC |
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The Playful HUE: BIPOC (Peoples of the Global Majority) Signal Group Chat
Why Signal? • Stronger privacy protections • End-to-end encryption by default • No advertising or data mining • Greater control over group settings and member privacy • A nonprofit platform aligned with community values
For InterPlay People of the Global Majority community, Signal offers a secure and supportive space for connection, creativity, and organizing around art, healing, and social change.
We have shared the new Signal group information with everyone in the former WhatsApp Groups. Thank you for your flexibility and partnership as we make this transition together. |
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For anyone who’s not sure of how to make the transition, here is a Quick Guide to Join the Signal Group Chat:
- Download the Signal App for iPhone - Apple Store or Signal App for Android - Google Play
- Open Signal and create your account using your phone number.
- Follow the prompts to verify your number and set up your profile.
- Once you receive the invitation link to our new InterPlay People of the Global Majority Signal Group, click the link to join.
- Under normal circumstances, we would allow for a gradual transition and keep WhatsApp active for a period of time. However, given the current security concerns, we need to make this change immediately. To support a smooth transition, I will enlist members of our staff to help communicate with the BIPOC (People of the Global Majority) community at the beginning of the week and assist anyone who may need help moving to Signal.
If you need assistance, please reach out. We are happy to help make the transition smooth and easy for everyone.
Thank you for helping us create a more secure and values-aligned space for our community.
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Carolyn Renée Morris—known as Carolyn Renée or “Renée”—is the InterPlay Liaison to BIPOC (People of the Global Majority), InterPlay's The Playful HUE newsletter editor, a Teaching Artist, Arts Leader, and Wellness Practitioner collaborating globally on art-infused, healing-centered projects. Her work draws on leadership in national arts organizations and integrative wellness practices. 📧 BIPOC@interplay.org 🌐 https://carolynrenee.com/ |
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***The Playful HUE is an evolving hub of connection within the Melanated and Peoples of the Global Majority InterPlay community. It currently includes two offerings: the monthly InterPlay BIPOC Points of Collaboration gathering, and the newly transitioned yearly BIPOC Retreat, which was previously held biennially. Together, these offerings create space for joy, reflection, connection, and healing through embodied practice.***
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