Core team
Jonathan, Andrei, Diana and Rada were all working together for another project, Makuma, when the idea for an urban eco-community came to their minds in 2020. It did not take long for them to realise they share this dream and start acting on it. Andreea and Ana joined us later on. Together, we create this adventure.
Jonathan Melhuish (founder)
Jonathan has launched and been involved with numerous organisations tackling sustainability, from launching tiny startups to working on the European Union’s climate change innovation programme, Climate KIC.
Now he’s dedicated to supporting ecological action here in Romania, and leads the play:space team. He gets particularly excited about new clean technologies, electric vehicles and Artificial Intelligence.
Andrei Năstase (former)
Andrei has trained as a psychologist, but in the last 4 years fell in love with the magic of guiding groups, circles and holding spaces where people can embrace and express their light, shadows and all the shades in between.
He became part of play:space because he believes that we can create a World where all living beings can exist and flourish in peace and harmony, and this World is the dream he is working for. Mentality shifts and transition through stories and symbols, performative arts, rituals, writing and psychology are a few threads that Andrei can talk about all day, and that he tries to follow in his life, inside and outside of play:space.
Rada Maria Muica (former)
Rada has her roots in the study of psychology, integrative psychotherapy and experiential group settings and has been greatly influenced by deep ecology and ecophilosophy.
Nature is her home and sanctuary, ecology and sustainability are closely linked to her sense of spirituality, belonging and purpose. Contributing to the transition to an eco-centric, life-sustaining, compassionate society through shifting mentalities is the reason why she joined play:space.
She offers group experiences through holding space for authenticity, creativity & self-expression but also the alchemy of heavier emotions such as eco-anxiety, shadow work and climate grief. Besides holding spaces, she is also a poet, photographer and intuitive music enthusiast.
Diana Gripcă (former)
Diana is the artistic elf who takes care of the aesthetic and visual aspects of our projects: she defines, visualizes, models, and creates the necessary graphics for them, so that they correspond to our values.
She has over 3 years of experience in design and over 7 years in visual arts.
Andreea Moisil (former)
Every big project needs a Jack of all trades to turn ideas into reality, and Andreea is ours.
With a background in grassroots activism and a contagious enthusiasm for working with power tools and doing tedious tasks, she is the dynamic team member that makes fixing things look easy. When she’s not in the workshop tinkering with various items, you can find her greeting event coordinators and participants in her unusually blunt (but friendly) manner, making sure everyone’s needs are met as best as possible.
Ana Maria Puiu (former)
Ana Maria is keen on creative writing & visuals. She loves to communicate through different mediums, from social media to graphic design, having experience in copywriting, web content creation, photography & branding.
Nature is her family, so ecology is at the core of her lifestyle. She always wanted to be part of a community where mindfull eco-action is taken for real, people contribute together like a big team, collaborating in an empathic & authentic way, and play:space feels just like that.
She is also an intuitive singer & songwriter, passionate about how art therapy can heal and how jam sessions or other artistic playful team acts can bring the community together and remove blocks and fears.