Play Full Ground: From Creative Community Lab to Learning Microschool

Mai Ryuno
Nov 11
4 min read

Where curiosity leads, creativity connects, and learning becomes art

“What if being different is exactly what makes us valuable?”

What if you are told that you are different from everyone else? Do you feel that’s a compliment, or do you feel pressure to become more like others?

I first encountered this idea of difference in Japan, where the phrase “Kuuki wo yomu (空気を読む)” — literally, “read the air” — describes the cultural expectation to follow the majority, to blend in rather than stand out. Moving to the United States in 2002, I noticed a different kind of pressure to conform, even here. Social and cultural expectations shape us in ways that can silence our uniqueness.

An old train station in my hometown, Japan — a reminder of my early experiences as an outsider and the journey that brought me to the United States.

A Creative Lab for Community

That question has guided my life and work. As an artist and educator, I founded Play Full Ground in 2017 as a creative community lab: a place for people to explore, experiment, and express themselves.

Play — the joy of exploration, Full — the satisfaction of fulfillment, Ground — a safe base for experimentation and connection

The first Play Full Ground participatory exhibit in 2017 featured interactive installations, performances, and collaborative culinary experiences. It was a joyful experiment in community learning — art that invited people to think, do, and share.

Over time, the studio evolved into a hub for workshops, community events, and creativity-based programs. I developed a learning framework called Think > Do > Share, helping participants explore ideas, act on them, and reflect collectively. Creativity, I realized, was not just a skill, but a way of being.

Visitors engage with Play Full Ground’s inaugural exhibition through interactive marine life installations, creative seafood bowls, and playful soft sculptures — celebrating creativity and community.

Over time, the studio evolved into a hub for workshops, community events, and creativity-based programs. I developed a learning framework called Think > Do > Share, helping participants explore ideas, act on them, and reflect collectively. For me, this wasn’t just about art — it was about nurturing curiosity, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Creativity, I realized, was not just a skill, but a way of being.

Local artists, makers, and community members collaborate and create at Play Full Ground, sharing skills, ideas, and hands-on experiences in workshops and studio events.

A Shift During the Pandemic

Then the world changed. When the pandemic began, our studio doors closed, and workshops moved online. I noticed something important: students who were active and open-minded thrived in the virtual space, engaging fully and benefiting from the collaborative opportunities. Others, who weren’t yet sure how to communicate or collaborate authentically, found it harder to participate — it was easy to hide behind a turned-off camera.

“Many students hadn’t yet experienced authentic collaboration — working creatively with others in a way that felt meaningful and connected.”

At the same time, I experimented with sharing performance art videos online. Performing solo for an unseen audience highlighted the challenges of connection in digital spaces.

These experiences sharpened my thinking about what learning could feel like when it’s hands-on, collaborative, and alive. Through these observations, the question became clear:

What if learning could feel like Play Full Ground itself — immersive, collaborative, and human-centered?

Exploring connection in virtual spaces: teaching online with playful interactions and creating performance videos in the studio.

From Art Lab to Microschool

By 2021–2022, I began to develop the idea of a microschool, then called The Dream School, for high school students. My goal was to bring the same values that defined Play Full Ground — curiosity, connection, creativity, courage — into an educational environment designed specifically for young learners.

At its core, the microschool is an extension of the art lab:

Think: Students reflect critically and imaginatively about real-world questions.
Do: They engage in projects that combine art, science, design, and social impact.
Share: They present, collaborate, and learn from each other, embracing differences as strengths.

Learning, like art, is a process. It is exploratory, human-centered, and joyful. And just as in a creative lab, failure is not a problem — it is part of the journey.

Learn More About Our Microschool

Japanese students engage in a collaborative social intervention in North Richmond, CA, exchanging plants for trash collected in the neighborhood — combining creativity, service, and community connection.

Why This Matters

Creativity is not a luxury; it is a necessity. In a world filled with complexity, young people need spaces where difference is celebrated, curiosity is encouraged, and learning is meaningful.

“Play Full Ground’s microschool is a space where education is an art, where each student is an active participant, and where learning and making are inseparable.”

It is the continuation of a lifelong mission: to nurture people who are not only capable of creating, but capable of caring, imagining, and acting differently in the world.

Support Play Full Ground

Students collaborated with me to set up a public installation for Speak Not So Easy socially engaged art project in Monterey, CA, bringing creativity and community engagement into shared spaces.

Looking Ahead

Play Full Ground has grown from an art studio into a living experiment in learning. Every installation, workshop, and shared meal has been a lesson in curiosity, collaboration, and courage. The microschool carries that same spirit into education, where the stakes are high but the possibilities are limitless.