Masterclass with play designer Cas Holman

We are excited to announce a two-day masterclass led by renowned and award-winning play designer Cas Holman.

In this two-day masterclass, she will provide an open-ended prompt from which participants will work together to design and build a tool for large-scale, embodied, intergenerational play.

On day one, participants will work in small groups alongside Cas to imagine form and play mechanics. On day two, groups will turn plans into workable, full-scale prototypes in the production labs of Center Rog and with the help of Center Rog technicians and materials provided, culminating in playtesting with humans of all ages.

The workshop is geared toward designers of all mediums. Cas will lead participants through a process guided by open-ended inquiry, creativity, collaboration, and group reflection. The playtest will be a rambunctious celebration of the participant’s ideas and a provocation for the Center Rog community to play.

We invite architects, educators, and designers from all fields to participate.

The price includes mentorship, materials, two lunches, and coffee.

On the eve of the master class, you are invited to a public lecture on the radical nature of play.

The masterclass will be held in English.

About the mentor:

Cas Holman is the founder and chief designer of the toy company Heroes Will Rise and a former Professor of Industrial Design at Rhode Island School of Design. She travels the globe speaking about early education, the design process, and the value of play in all aspects of life. She has shared her perspective in workshops and seminars with teams at Google, Nike, LEGO Foundation, Disney Imagineering, and more. Some of her designs include toys like Rigamajig and structures at the Highline and the Liberty Science Center.

Cas lives in New York City and designs from her studio in Brooklyn. Her philosophy and approach to designing for play was recently featured in the award-winning documentary series Abstract: The Art of Design on Netflix. Cas’s book Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity will be released in October 2025, published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

You can find more information about the mentor in this short video.

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On the photo: Cas Holman with young people and Rigamajig (photo credit: Jason Greene, Cas Holman archive)