NON-VIOLENT THEATRE . 2019 . FRANCE
“NON-VIOLENT THEATRE FOR ARTIVISTS”
This booklet explores a variety of tools to enrich and improve our nonviolent communication and to understand the nonviolent theatre as a method in non-formal education. It is a result of our training course that took part in France and it was written by our trainers Kasia Stepien and Marta Skorczyńska.
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TRAINING COURSE
26 JULY - 9 AUGUST 2019
Brivezac, France
Non-Violent Theatre was a project developing competencies to communicate in a nonviolent way – acknowledging own and others’ needs recognising and expressing emotions and building peaceful relations with young people and co-workers. The aim of the project was to deal with situations of conflict or misunderstanding in the work environment where reaching a compromise is needed for common good and growth. As much as conflicts are natural for human relations our concern is not to let them threaten the basic sense of safety when a person feels their needs are endangered which might lead to violent defensive reactions.
Those competencies to be in contact with own needs and communicate them to others are especially valuable working with multinational and cross-cultural groups youth at risk, migrants where backgrounds, contexts and understandings which are shaping the strategies to meet the needs might be so different from one another thus leading to in the communication process and coexistence.
The name of the training course comes from two methods: "Theatre" refers to Theatre of the Oppressed and applied drama methodology, created by Augusto Boal, a theatre director and community and social activist. Non-Violent refers to empathic communication language – called the “language of giraffe” from nonviolent communication method by Marshall Rosenberg, a psychologist and mediator.
TRAINERS
KATARZYNA STEPIEN
I weave together my passion for embodied practices nature and communities inspiring mindful re-connection with self others and the Earth. I’m certified dance meditation facilitator mindfulness practitioner explorer and activist. I have several years of experience in group facilitation within non-formal education setting developed training content and delivered workshops and trainings
on empathic communication self-awareness nonviolence and peace education. In my work, I create heart-based spaces supporting young people and adults on their journeys to wholeness based on compassion authentic expression, self-awareness and play.
MARTA SKORCZYNSKA
„There’s madness in this method. Though this be madness yet there’s method in it” (Drama Way). That quote describes my attitude towards education - connecting with the not obvious in our society yet the most natural elements of our existence and learning – the body movement, singing, role-playing and drama.
I am a non-formal education trainer certified in drama methodology, experienced in communication and managing multi-cultural groups.
In my work I find inspiration from voice and body training methods, coaching and solution-focused approach and educational games. Graduate of Psychology and Social Animation studies. I wish that everyone could recognise, live and express their feelings and needs. Being aware of the diversity within us makes it so much easier to appreciate the diversity between us.
Our participants about the workshop
“Full of feelings and emotions and satisfied needs, especially learning outcomes and experiencing French rural area its culture.”
— Sasa
“I got trapped in this amazing place :) Thank you for sharing energy! Love all of you!”
— Jose
“Homade it's a charming place placed in a stunning location. I found it warm and peaceful, a lovely setting to recharge my energies and focus on our work as a group. The program was interesting and made me curious to read and learn more about the subject. I'm taking away more awareness in terms of communication hoping to apply what I learned with my job and in multi-cultural context. Also improving my everyday communication skills.”
— Serena
“It was one of the best experiences of the past couple of years. I’ve rediscovered parts of myself that I’ve tried to hide for a long time and here I have felt in the right place and mindset to reconnect with them. Just a big thank you for the whole team that made this experience so great and that has been working so hard to fulfil our needs.”
— Iman
“Learning a new language for a nonviolent revolution”
Our trainer, Marta Skorczynska talks about nonviolent communication. The world I know is build on judgments and opinions. As a psychology graduate I was trained to diagnose and categorise, measure and give objective verdicts. How many times were you asked: „what do you think about it?”, „what is your opinion?”, what is correct or not, good or bad? What is the objective truth? Do you remember when someone else was giving their opinion about you?… And now a different question, how many times were you asked: „how do you feel with that?” Or, „what do you need in that case?”
⌲ Read our Marta’s full article on Medium here.
This training course has been co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme. If you would like to find out more about the programme, please visit European Commission’s webpage here.
