Abroadship’ers Joseph Gibbons Nicole White, Hasan Alaiba and Mohammad Al Zaim went on another outstanding Erasmus+ training course “The Art of Development” in Lithuania and created an outstanding toolset.
The Art of Development Toolset
60 Minutes shelters
– Encourage creative thinking - Improve problem solving and stress management skills – Develop teamworking strategies and leadership - Connect with nature - Learn basic outdoor survival
Scout out Suitable Woodland area (Space for 2 – 4 Shelters, far enough apart) Make sure there are enough resources around (variety of branches, leaves, rocks on the ground)
Gather everyone in the designated area of activity. Explain the task, mentioning all the participants will divide into smaller groups. They will have 1 hour to build a shelter that protects them from rain for the night. Trainers will not help them in any way during that 1 hour. Teams cannot communicate with each other. To build this shelter, only materials found in the designated area can be used. Ask them to respect nature (not to cut trees, use branches on the ground, etc.) Ask if there are any other questions. The trainer should not give instructions on how to build the shelter.
Divide participants into equal groups. Show each group their part of the area to build and gather resources individually. Announce the beginning of the task and start the timer.
1.Now we going to start, stand in your groups
2.You will have one hour to build your shelter
3. Time starts now.
After 45 minutes, remind the participants there is 15 minutes left.
After 60 minutes, announce that everyone must stop building.
Bring all groups together. Have a walk around looking at the other group’s shelters. Bring the groups into a circle and “now let’s talk about what we just accomplished.”
Potential questions: How did you start the activity? Was there enough time planning, or did you go straight into it? Did you manage as a team? Was there a leader? If yes, how were they chosen, and did it work well? If not, would it have helped nominate one person, and why may this work better? What was your role in the team? Were you happy in this role? How did your emotions change throughout the task? What was the most challenging part, and why? Looking back, could you find another way to avoid this? How did the time pressure affect you? When you came across a problem, how did you come to a solution? Was there any different of opinions? How did your team handle this? Would you be happy to sleep under this in a storm tonight? If you do it again, What would you do differently?
Create & Let It Be
Developing key competences: creative skills, creative thinking, agility Developing teamworking skills; Developing manual skills.
Empty room + warm up activity; Materials;
1.Divide people in groups of 3-4 people. 2.Give each group the instruction to create a short, 2-3 minutes, performance. 3.Showtime. The first team goes to the stage and they get the instructions that once they start their performance the audience has the power to change every element (e.g. characters, environment, change the plot). Actors have to adapt to new conditions.
4.Repeat the process to each group until every group shows their performance.
Debriefing / evaluation
1.What were your thoughts when they changed your performance? 2.How was it to step out of your performance and drop your plan and start listening to your audience? 3.Was it easy to accept being controlled by the audience? 4.How was it to prepare the performance, how did you feel? 5. How much effort did you put into preparing the performance?
Yin Yang
Speaker, empty room, safe ground, Blindfolds, Trust, Prepared posters with 4 selected emotions (Euphoria / Sadness / Anger / Love), 1-2 facilitators
– Overcoming prejudices - Experiencing guidance and following of the emotions - Exploring a feeling of trust, learning how to trust other person – Acknowledging how to deal with uncertainty, the process of unknown - Interpreting movements as expression of emotions (for those blindfolded) / Trying to express the emotion as clear as possible (for those with opened eyes)
– Download the music, check if the technical device is connected to the speaker - Prepare the posters of 4 emotions - Make sure everyone in the group can cover their eyes (have blindfolds)
– Empty the room - Prepare the instructions
Music. Suggestions: - Papai Joci – Origo instrumental version (for Euphoria) – Oneke – Rays of Hope (for Sadness) - Joakim – Samurai Meditation Tunnel Remix (for Anger) – Ludovico Einaudi – Primavera (for Love)
Instructions
1. I want to invite you to be trustful and respectful for our upcoming experience. During the process we are going to lead you and give you the information you need at the very moment.
2. For facilitator: Make it more clear about the respect + mention that it is not completely anonymous (because there are people seeing)
3. We are going to pair up to dance together in this process and half of the group will be with covered eyes, the other part will be able to see and after 2 rounds we change. In that process we ask you not to concentrate on who you are dancing with but on the emotion the other person is trying to transmit to you.
4. Do not care about the steps, you can improvise completely, but at the same time try to follow/lead.
5. If you are not feeling comfortable with the movements of your pair, you still have a control to show that with your movement or you can simply say something. You can create a signal word when you do not feel comfortable and you want to stop. The blinded person can speak, the leader stays silent. The idea is to communicate through movement without judging each other. (For facilitator: Make sure that everyone clearly understood this part)
6. We will start with the introduction process to mark the limits and to get to know each other.
7. Now please separate into two equal groups. One group goes to the middle of the room, makes a circle looking into the center and covers their eyes. The other group gathers around looking to the outside. The outside group hold the hand of each other and start moving to the left. When I clap, you stop. Now turn around and see who is in front of you, this is your partner for 2 first songs.
8. From now on, you leaders can’t speak. Now hold the hand of your partner (the follower) gently and move to the part of the room where you can move freely.
9. Now you start introducing yourself to the partner with gentle movements. Try to get a feeling about closeness and distance – how close the other person wants you to be, try to make it comfortable for you both.
10. I will start a song now, you keep on getting to know each other and in a minute we will show you the poster with the emotion you should put into your movements/dance. Try to show the emotion as clearly as possible. Don’t forget you are dancing with the person who can’t see and also pay attention/be aware of your environment – other people will also be dancing around you.
11. Just to know for the facilitator: Start playing Origo song and play it till the end.
12. Stay in the couple you are. Now we are going to play the second song and the guiding person will see the next poster with another emotion. Try to change your movements so the follower is able to notice the difference to the song before.
13. Just to know for the facilitator: Start playing Rays of Hope and play the whole song.
14. Stay covered. Thank each other for the dances without words. Then the seeing group gathers in the middle of the room, we will help to arrange a circle. Now the seeing group looks at the center and covers their eyes. After that the first covered group takes off the covers and gathers around the smaller circle looking outside of it. The outer circle, please gently hold each other’s hands and start moving to the left. When we clap – you stop and turn around to see your partner. This is your partner for 2 following songs.
15. From now on, you leaders can’t speak. Now hold the hand of your partner (the follower) gently and move to the part of the room where you can move freely
16. Now you start introducing yourself to the partner with gentle movements. Try to get a feeling about closeness and distance – how close the other person wants you to be, try to make itcomfortable for you both.
17. Before we start a song now, try to get to know each other, make some introductory movements and be sure that you are ready to dance instantly as the song starts. Try to show the emotion as clearly as possible. Don’t forget you are dancing with the person who can’t see and also be aware of your environment – other people will also be dancing around you.
Debriefing / evaluation
– How did you feel by being a follower or a leader? Which role was harder for you to perform? Why?
- Which emotions have you felt from the leader movements when you were a follower? // How hard was it for you to translate emotions into your movements as a dance leader?
– How did you feel not knowing the person you are dancing with? – What have you learned from the process?
18. Just to know for the facilitator: Start playing Samurai and after 2 minutes and 10 seconds turn the volume down and stop the song. 19. Now take a deep breath and we will play the last song which you will be dancing with the same partner.
20. Just to know for the facilitator: Start playing Primavera and after 4 minutes and 10 seconds turn the volume down and stop the song. 21. Stay covered. Thank each other for the dances without words. The seeing group please take a seat in a bigger circle for the reflection. Now not seeing group you can uncover your eyes and join us.
22. Just to know for the facilitator: Ask if people would like to have a reflection in one group or with partners they were paired with
23. Just to know for the facilitator: Ask questions for the reflection. After that – ask people to breathe in and out for 3 times to release the emotions and be thankful for what happened.
Sinestesium
– To widen awareness of different senses, to explore synesthesia (Synesthesia is when you hear music, but you see shapes. Or you hear a word or a name and instantly see a color. Synesthesia is a fancy name for when you experience one of your senses through another.) – To tackle and to bloom creativity
– To expand perception of bodily sensations & awareness
– Prepare all the materials from the material section and put. Take different plastic dishes and put substances on them, each facilitator has the same things. - Create a comfortable space for several groups to work (a comfortable and open space)
– For dancing closing: clear space for blinded movement
1.The participants are divided in groups (up to 4 people per facilitator) and asked to find a comfortable position. The blind folds are given to each. (10 min)
2.Participants are guided through a grounding meditation to tune in with their bodies and senses. (10 min)
Take a comfortable position. Seat with legs crossed, back straight, head up lifted. Inhale from the nose, eshale from the mouth.
Take 3 deep breath.
Then, while breathing in think this words “I am not by body”, while breathing out “I am not my thoughts”
Repeat this for 3minutes
Then breath normally and focus on the sensation you will feel from the air flowing in and out your nose.
after 5 minutes the meditation is done.
After mediation, facilitators guide their small group members through sense’ exploration, offering each participant to explore different tastes, smells and textures via touch. While exploring each object, the guide asks guiding questions:
• – What texture do you feel?
• – What colour do you feel?
• – What smell do you feel?
• – What sound do you feel?
• – What taste do you feel?
• – How does this object make you feel? (Except the most obvious question)
(2 min per each sense, 30 min in total)
• – feel the colour of your clothing
• – feel the sound of your hair
• – feel the texture of your skin (5min)
Participants are asked “How does your body see the world? Explore it with a movement” & are moved into a silence dance. (10 min) Reflection. (15 min)
Debriefing / evaluation
How was the process for you? Did you experience something new or surprising?
How was it for you to explore the senses in the unusual way? Which was for you the easiest/most difficult sense?
How was it for you to be blindfolded throughout the whole process? Did you perceive your body/senses any differently?
How did this process influence your creativity in the closing activity?
● ● ● ●
Bird Movement Meditationum
– for comfort (optional): yoga mats, blankets for each participant.
– to practice well-being - to spend time in nature – a tool for relaxation
Safe space (clearing in the woods, by the river, or any open space in nature) where people can lie down.
STEP 1. Opening the discussion with reading the quote“
There is freedom waiting for You, on the breezes of the sky, and You ask “What if I fall?” “Oh, but my darling. What if You fly?”
– Erin Hanson How do You feel about it? (Few minutes of guided discussion)
STEP 2. Guided bird meditation
Now we are going to do a movement meditation. First you will lay down and I will guide you through a mediation. (Make sure you are warm enough to begin.)
Now everyone find a place to lay down and let you body rest on the floor.
Connect to your breath. Feel your body laying on the ground. Feel the heaviness of your body on the earth. The gravity that holds you Take three deep breathes. And now return to your natural rythme.
You feel safe warm protected
you are in a shell
you feel comfortable but whats outside the shell? You don’t know
your curiosity builds
you start to move your body first small movements
You realise your comfort is limiting you
your movements grow as you move you see the shell breaking apart cracks of sunshine and blue sky come in
STEP 4. Guided reflection
With a small group (up to 20 people): How was this experience? How did You feel? What did you learn about yourself? What are You taking from this experience? When do You feel free in Your life?
(What was the difference for You to be inside and outside the shell? With a big group (more than 20 people): How was it? Use 1 word or/and show with Your body sculpture.
you reach through one of the cracks as you pass the shell you realise you are covered in feathers what colour are the feathers?
How big are your wings? How does it feel?
You are a bird. Ready to fly.
STEP 3. Free body movement
(play music quietly) Unfold Your wings. Feel free to move in the space. Feel the wind under Your wings propelling You into the sky. FLY!
(Music louder, 8 min of free movement)
Toolbox was created by the Participants during the Erasmus+ training Course Art of Development
• Abroadship.org – UK
• NGO “Innovative Generation” Lithuania
• NGO “Creative Youth Platform” Georgia
• “Baltijas Reģionālais fonds” Latvia
• “Stowarzyszenie Sztukater” Poland
• “La Vibria” Spain
• NGO “Oriel” Italy
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