Kurti Birkenbeil

Kurti delivers the OPAL programme in and around Brighton, the south coast, Sussex, Hampshire and London. As a Senior Mentor, he supports and tutors new OPAL mentors.

“Feeling passionate about the power of play ever since I climbed on board of a Playbus, back in 1998 in Hamburg, to work with refugee children. They had no common language but I witnessed how the power play brought them together in joy. Since then I have studied Playwork (University of Brighton, FDA), promoted and provided for Article 31, the Children’s Right to Play in social hotspots, schools for children with additional needs, run mobile summer community play programs and free play centred family days for children and their imprisoned fathers at HMP Lewes.

After running Brighton and Hove City Council’s Playbus for a decade I joined in 2016 the play forces with Michael Follett and OPAL. If only both my boys could have enjoyed an OPAL school. I feel deeply grateful to make a difference to an ever-growing number of school children enjoying and benefiting from rich and diverse player offers on every school day! “