THE GAME

“Staging Posts
on the Journey of Life”

……is a game which fosters self-discovery and an understanding and appreciation of other people’s experiences, beliefs and ways of thinking;

……is a game which encourages inter-generational conversations as well as the sharing of perspectives between people of similar ages;

……is basically a simple interactive game accompanied by a rich mix of prose and poetry to stimulate the imagination and to stir and strengthen memories.

“Old and forgotten memories are the compost of the imagination.”
(Graham Greene)

BACKGROUND

The original ideas and format for “Staging Posts on the journey of life” emerged from the work of members and associates of the East of England Faiths Agency CIC (EEFA).

We were exploring what pastoral and spiritual care was available to people of all ages, whether or not they were members of faith communities.  We were particularly interested in the experiences of elderly people and concerned that their voices should be heard and their needs addressed.

The inspiration for this non-competitive activity/game came from the speech by Jacques in Shakespeare’s play “As you like it”:

“All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.  They have their exits and their entrances and one man in his turn plays many parts; his acts being seven ages”.

Seeing the world as a stage was not a novel idea and it continues to be a powerful metaphor.  {The first Sikh Guru had used this imagery 100 years earlier.)  The concept of seven stages which had been a commonplace view of life since the classical period has now been overtaken by a more nuanced perspective on the progress (and decline) of human life, but it can still speak powerfully to us.  We have added other staging posts to stimulate reflection and discussion on life’s journey, so there are 12 in all.

We hope that the experience of playing “Staging Posts” will encourage reflection on the journey of life in the light of the outlook and concerns of people of different generations in 21^st century multi-cultural Britain and across the English-speaking world.

Staging Posts on the Journey of life is currently available from The East of England Faiths Agency CIC.  To purchase a copy, contact: sales@stagingposts.org.uk.

The current price is £50 plus £7 p&p.

THE TWELVE STAGING POSTS

The twelve staging posts are:

1 Heritage	2 Conception and Birth	3 Childhood and Schooldays
4 Education and Training	5 Love and Friendship	6 Families
7 Community	8 Meaning and Purpose	9 Work Life Balance
10 Retirement and Old Age	11 Death and Bereavement	12 Legacy

For each stage there is a set of twelve topic cards.  Each card presents questions and appropriate poems or prose from Shakespeare and many other writers from many cultures and from ancient to modern times.

Players are presented with a spinner board.  They spin the arrow and are asked to choose a topic card randomly from the set ‘selected’ by the arrow.  They then choose to answer one of the card’s questions or respond to its prose or poetry.  Other players contribute to the discussion.

When they are ready to move on to new topic, another player spins the arrow.

Sixth Formers at Portsmouth High School for Girls (GDST) playing Staging Posts on the Journey of Life.

REVIEWS OF THE GAME

‘Staging Posts is a wonderful game for encouraging conversation, connectedness and understanding. The collection of poetry and prose is a treasure chest of delights. I feel sure that old and young alike will be fascinated to learn of one another's lives in a very interesting and stimulating way.’ Pippa Haywood

This is a brilliant game. It brings people of any age together in a way that encourages friendly sharing and reflection. It can be used by any small group at home or in a residential home and is particularly helpful in bringing young and old together. Bishop Richard Harries

I thought the game was wonderful.  We have enjoyed playing the game with residents and will carry on playing it. I would say it’s like a different game every time I play.  The residents are getting to know each other more.
Listening to the conversations they were having, all the different topics, lots of laughter and reminiscing.  I liked playing the game with 3-4 residents. They were remembering different times in their lives which sent them on different journeys so they had lots of stories. Gaynor McGlade
Cedrus House, Care UK at Ravenswood)

I have just read the introduction to your game/activity. I think it's truly wonderful. So simple yet with the right group of people it could evoke so many lost memories and stories. Without, the facilitator can dip into a selection of wonderful poems, peppered with humour! It's brilliant and I really don't think I can add anything to it apart from my approval! Well done both, it will be a game that can be played over and over again. I'll show my mum and see if she has any additional thought as she has worked in and around dementia and has written several books for Age concern etc. I will also dig out granny's poem.  Cathy Edwards

Thank you so much for sharing. I have been deeply moved by some of the prose and poems.  The game was a great success when played with the year 13 RS A-level class last Thursday afternoon. Here is some feedback from the girls who played:  Lucinda Webb – Portsmouth High School for Girls.

"I really enjoyed this game. It allowed us to explore topics and have conversations we might not have otherwise had".

"The game encouraged conversations and brought up topics that I had not previously discussed with my friends. The game presentation is amazing and a great resource for pupils interested in RS, PSHE and English. There are Shakespeare quotations and poetry in it too".

"The game allows us to learn things about other people and it was set out in a fun and appealing way".