Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
(800) 654-4262

© 2025 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
StoryCorps is in Selma through February 7. Help preserve your stories and community history. Learn more here: StoryCorps Selma.

Yana Buhrer Tavanier: Can social activism be playful?

Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour Episode Work, Play, Rest - Part 2.

We might think of activism as far from playful. That's not the case for "playtivist" Yana Buhrer Tavanier. Her incubator lab, Fine Acts, encourages whimsical solutions for social change.

About Yana Buhrer Tavanier

Yana Buhrer Tavanier is the cofounder and executive director of Fine Acts, a global creative studio that encourages collaboration between activists and artists to produce social change-inspiring art. Buhrer Tavanier has coined the term "playtivism" to describe her work: the process of incorporating play into activism. She's also the cofounder of TimeHeroes.org, which aims to establish volunteering culture in developing societies. She is a TED Senior Fellow and a Fulbright Scholar.

Buhrer Tavanier has a BA in communication and MA in political science from Sofia University, along with executive education at Harvard University, Yale University, and Oxford University. She comes from a background in investigative journalism.

This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Fiona Geiran and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Fiona Geiran
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
Sanaz Meshkinpour
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.