What is a world?
Spend 2 minutes – silently on paper – listing as many “worlds” as you can think of.
Then, as a class, go around and each say one aloud, trying not to name the same type of world.
Spend 2 minutes choosing one of the worlds you listed, and try to answer “what makes this a world?”
Share back – first in small groups, then as a whole class.
//Recommended Format & Materials
- First, discuss in pairs or small groups. Tell participants to listen for insights for sharing back.
- When introducing the activity, try to leave the definition open-ended to elicit a variety of answers.
//Tips & Tricks for Facilitators
- First, discuss in pairs or small groups. Tell participants to listen for insights for sharing back.
- When introducing the activity, try to leave the definition open-ended to elicit a variety of answers.
//Key Takeaways/Deliverables
- Connect the explicit process of “worlding” or “worldbuilding” in a creative practice, with the common understanding of “worlds.”
- Understand that with the world, there are also many worlds, formed by our perceptions and mental models.
//credits
A version of this exercise was originally created for a course called “Rendering Worlds” co-developed by Sarah Rothberg and Deborah Levitt at the New School in 2018.
