Brighton Festival Fringe

As a business we have always been proudly “Brighton” and an annual outing to see a live show has always felt like a great way to celebrate not only our city, but also the wider creative industries, particularly those beyond our own screen-focused business. The annual trip to the fringe is tradition that now runs across many years and we have enjoyed the full diversity of entertainment that any world-class festival proudly delivers - from drag circus acts, to improv troupes, 80s nights, to a one woman show about her love affair with potato crisps! Naturally, some shows have been crowd-pleasing hits, whereas others have truly split the audience vote.

What struck me this year is that the outing now transcends its content. It’s become something deeper: a true workplace ritual.

In a hybrid work environment, rituals mean more than ever before - by gathering together in person, we build team cohesion and develop our company identity into a tangible mission, based on shared experiences. Rituals mark out our yearly transition points - it's not all about the "Christmas Do" or an individual project's wrap party, it's also about celebrating as we go, as a team of humans, marking the passing of seasons (or in business-speak: Qs 1- 4), together. These moments offer a stabilising rhythm in a business climate that’s faced wave after wave of disruption. We need that rhythm. We need connection.

Anthropological and psychological studies back this up. Rituals can reduce anxiety - think of actors preparing to go on stage - performing a ritual beforehand reduces uncertainty and helps them to feel more in control. Repetition actively calms the brain, and when faced with so much disruption, calm is paramount. Rituals enhance group bonding. Synchronised rituals, such as watching a show and laughing together, increase feelings of social bonding, building trust and cooperation within groups. They also cultivate identity and social belonging - by doing things together outside of the office environment, people build a "tribal" identity where they begin to see themselves as part of a unique group. Our trip to the Fringe, develops a tribal 'Brighton' identify as well as an alliance to wider creativity.

Of course, not all of our work rituals are as large-scale as a mass trip to the theatre. There are plenty of smaller rituals that mark our days and months together as a team of co-workers at Brighton Zoo. The 'blended family' formed by the partnership of Plug-in Media and Blue Zoo, has resulted in us each accommodating rituals from either side of the family - Blue Zoo's weekly gratitude 'shout-outs' on Fridays are one of my favourite new rituals - and the London studio has been influenced by our original Plug-in Media ritual of Sandwich Thursdays.

As we move further into an era shaped by remote working, and as AI inevitably forces more and more workplace automation, the value of our most human experiences is only set to rise. Rituals give shape to our working lives - reminding us that creativity thrives not just in what we make, but in how we come together.