… I cannot do it, I am too old, I don’t know enough, I don’t have a creative bone in my body, the man is the head of the family, drug addicts are weak, we must fight for democracy, I must own my home, this organisation does not value its workers, indigenous people are violent, nothing ever changes, to get on in life you have to be realistic and work hard…

Some of these ‘truths’ may make us cringe, but how many of them do we hold? Or should I say, how many have a hold on us?

The effectiveness of using Boal theatre techniques to transform organisations, communities and individuals lies in three key components:

1. The ability to involve the collective in exposing the ‘truths’ that hold us back. When working on issues that affect a group of people someone’s individual story is the springboard for the collective examination of what is holding people back and what is blocking a desired action. (Santos, 2010) It allows a group to understand an individual story in relation to the rest.

   ‘We do not interpret, we explain nothing, we only offer multiple points of reference.’ (Boal, 1995) This is what makes the work therapeutic but not therapy!!

   1. Aesthetics - the use of a creative medium such as theatre but also other media such as painting, writing and sculptures, to shift the brain from a survival, left-brain, linear pattern to a more imaginative, metaphoric, right-brain pattern that allows a playful yet deep examination of that which may be painful or unpleasant.
   2. The reconnection of the whole body – working with the whole person, their senses, their minds, their emotions. When a challenge is examined using the whole of our bodies there is greater clarity and honesty. Similarly, when alternatives are rehearsed in this empowered state this rehearsal leaves a profound imprint which is the beginning of transformation.

    

Barbara Santos at recent PTO conference in Austin, Texas

Category: Uncategorized
5 Comments »

We get ideas all the time, sometimes they come out of the blue, but often, they have to be carefully and intentionally captured.

There are many tools for generating ideas, one of my favourites is SCAMPER.

I first came across SCAMPER in Michael Michalko’s, Thinkertoys, a ‘must-have’ book about innovation. You can also google SCAMPER and see for yourself.

SCAMPER was created by Bob Eberle who combined a set of characteristics found in most innovations. SCAMPER assumes that most new ideas are modified versions of old ones. SCAMPER is an acronym, each letter representing a way of rethinking certain aspects of the existing challenge.

We only have to look at some objects from our daily lives to find that one of the following was used in its creation:

S – Substitute – What can be substituted? e.g., a lot of coffee shops have substituted cow’s milk for soy milk and created the soy latte. Do you use travel agents or book and buy flights and hotels direct from the Internet?

C – Combine – What ideas can be combined? e.g., my latest asset is a combination of an IPod, a mobile phone and the Internet, yes! I have recently got an IPhone! Last year I bought a head torch; combination of headband and a torch.

A – Adapt – What is it like? e.g., when was the last time you saw a cyclist stop her bike to unscrew the lid off a water bottle? The squirt top has made drinking on the go easy. And what about the fabulous neck cushions for sleeping on airplanes?

M – Magnify/Minify – What can be made bigger/smaller? e.g., have a look at your camera today and think back to the camera you had in the 80s! Big difference! And what about your television?  

P – Put to other uses – What else can it be used for? e.g. who has not seen a tyre turned into a swing? Or a shoe as a doorstop? Or books for pressing flowers?

E – Eliminate – What can be removed? e.g., we have wireless access to Internet and I can’t wait to buy a wireless mouse and a wireless printer.

R – Rearrange (Reverse) – How can it be rearranged? e.g. nowadays we are more likely to pay for photocopies first then make them.

These are just some quick examples that I came up with for this article but if you think about your own life, how many objects or processes can you think of that have undergone one of the SCAMPER modifications to be what they are today?

The way to use it is to clearly state your challenge or area you need ideas in. Then, ask questions relating to each of the SCAMPER characteristics to generate new ideas or solutions. Try this website for more questions relating to each characteristic. http://litemind.com/scamper/

Category: Uncategorized
Leave a comment »

Forum Theatre is the creation and performance of a play dealing with particular issues pertinent to the audience and its community. The play does not have a conclusion; instead, scenes portray the various struggles faced by the protagonist. The play is performed once right through; then it is performed again, this time ‘spect-actors’ from the audience can stop a scene if they think they could offer the protagonist alternatives that would have better results. The ‘spect-actor’ is then invited on stage to perform their suggestion. With this is mind picture this short scene in a play:

A salesperson has trouble resolving a customer’s problem with a mobile phone. The customer does not have the time to wait for the administrative steps necessary to replace the faulty phone. The shop assistant is growing more and more frustrated – he wants to do the best for the customer but must follow protocol.

The spect-actors getting up on stage to replace the frustrated salesperson in trying to positively influence the client are also not having much luck. The client is not happy and wants a result NOW.

This is one of the scenes performed in a project, Communication and Conflict Resolution in Working Life, conducted by theatre practitioner Rikke Gjærum and psychologist Gro Ramsdal between 2005 & 2006. The project combined the Forum Theatre pedagogy with Psychological Dialogue Analysis to train employees from 5 regional industrial enterprises from a variety of sectors. These included transportation, mobile phones and electronics, petroleum, logistics and manufacturing. The goal was to measure the success of using these tools in improving self-esteem and responding to conflict by developing more positive communication strategies.

Participants used real event from their working lives, creating 23 dramatisations which fell under 4 different themes.

The practitioners established a context for participants to analyse conversations – for this project it was that the maintenance of self-esteem and the protection of identity are key components in communication.

The customer, participants were reminded was buying the phone for his wife, ‘his identity as coping husband could be threatened is he failed to buy her a proper gift…’, moreover, he would also have to deal with his self-talk about the reaction his wife might have.  When the spect-actors returned to the stage their new interventions reflected a ‘new identification with and understanding of the customer’s problem’. Solutions that involved how he might take care of his wife were now offered too.

Category: Methodology
1 Comment »

The Harvard Business Review (HBR), Dec 2009, had a wonderful article exploring 5 qualities displayed by innovators; qualities that can be nurtured to promote innovative thinking.

1. Associating – this is when what appear to be unrelated ideas or problems from different disciplines are brought together to create something totally new. For example, eBay, the idea for which was the result of associating the wish to establish more efficient internet markets with the wish to get hold of rare Pez dispensers with the failure of classified ads in helping find them. The magic of connecting sure paid off!

2. Questioning – constantly asking questions that challenge the status quo. Did you know that the idea behind Dell computers came when Michael Dell asked himself ‘why does a computer cost five times more than all its parts?’ He clearly asked the right question!

3. Observing – watching closely what people (potential customers) are doing; how they are behaving and what they are struggling with. The Nano, at $2,500 the world’s cheapest car, was developed in India from regularly observing the difficulty a family of four was having riding on a scooter!

4. Experimenting – trying out new paths without the fear of failure or reprimand. Amazon.com has made experimenting part of its working ethos so that employees are expected to experiment. That is how Amazon.com has gone from selling books, to selling equipment to becoming an electronics manufacturer!

5. Networking – getting out there and listening to other people in other industries with different ideas and ways of working.  Did you know that both the idea for the Blackberry and for JetBlue (satellite TV in every seat on planes) came to the creators while attending conference on totally different themes? Attending had great returns!

I read the HBR article excitedly as I realized how useful theatre techniques and activities we use at ACT OUT are in stimulating exactly all these qualities!

Associating is about getting the brain to reach into its stores of experiences and knowledge and connect what it has not yet connected. This happens in so many of the non-linear, creativity activities used in theatre. Questioning happens all the time when a particular theatrical image is constructed and deconstructed. It is how alternatives are rehearsed as they are put forward by participants. Similarly, observing other participants closely, mirroring and mimicking exercises train specifically for this skill. And using theatre in organisational development is experimenting at many levels, especially when it is a form not common to those participating. Finally, when a workshop is conducted with participants from different departments, companies and organisations the result is some serious networking in very safe settings.

Category: Uncategorized
Leave a comment »

OK everyone, put the chairs up against the wall, we won’t really need them for the rest of the day.’

The participants looked around at each other a little confused.

 ‘You can put your pens and paper away too.’

With a few mumbles, groans and raised eyebrows, people slowly stood up and put the chairs away.

The reluctance did not last long. Within 10 minutes the whole group was smiling, had forgotten all about chairs and was fully engaged albeit in a new and unfamiliar method.

Choosing a method for community development or engagement is key to the success of any project that genuinely wants to access a community’s concerns.

Enhancing the sense of touch and trust at Mowanjum Community

This is particularly true if the issues at hand are tough and emotionally charged. People want to talk about them honestly but they CAN’T. And our methods sometimes don’t help.

The theatre-based activities used in this recent workshop in WA’s northwest, quickly created a safe yet playful space which allowed ALL OF US, facilitators included, to participate fully and wholly. So that it was not just our intellects running the show, with the same old, sometimes useful, often tired lines and insights; but our emotions and our creativity had a big say too.

a scene depicting 'lack of communication' between agencies

 And it was all playful - this not only gave the interaction greater depth it also made the human connection more authentic.

The response from the group reflected this: ‘Really enjoyed the laughs and the insight provided because everyone embraced the method…’

‘Great to have play instead of Power Point’ wrote one participant.

Another wrote ‘very innovative workshop…lots of fun and laughter…’

Category: Uncategorized
Leave a comment »

Play and laughter: two magic ingredients. The right mix of these two and there is not much that cannot be resolved or created.

Creativity at Work guru, Linda Naiman, (www.creativityatwork.com) lists some reasons to bring play into the office. Here are my top five:

1.Play = Fun = Profit: The more creative we are the more satisfied. This means we feel better about our colleagues, our work and our organisation in general. Naiman quotes research from Fortune Magazine (1998) that shows that employees with high levels of motivation show 127% more productivity that those with average motivation.

2. “Play is good corporate strategy for problem solving”: When we play we relax, when we relax we are more creative, when we are more creative we can solve problems and generate ideas – it’s very simple!

3. Work / Life balance requires play: this is the most important element listed (surprise! not money!) by employees. Being able to balance the two can be the single most important reason for an employee staying or leaving a job.

4. Fun is the new status symbol: Naiman refers to studies that show that if an organisation wants to keep their talent they need to foster a fun, creative and challenging environment at work. And talent, as we know, is what makes one company stand out from the rest.

5. Workaholic = LOSER:  Being addicted to non-stop, fast-paced work without breaks for play and rest is a sign of low-self esteem. What is more, performance suffers.

I have been told on a number of occasions not to mention the word play too much in relation to business because it turns people off. I challenge that. The days of Henry Ford walking around the factory floor grimly picking on people for telling jokes are far gone.

Good leaders are fun; good leaders understand the importance of play and of laughter. Good leaders know that play and laughter bring people closer. They know that when people feel good and motivated they work well together.

Good leaders understand that laughter ‘…is the closest distance between two people,’ as Victor Borge so wisely said.

Category: Programs & Workshops
Leave a comment »

Let’s face it. Changing our behaviour does not generally happen in the intellect.

Who does not know that to lose weight you need to take in less calories than you burn?  Or that the best way to stop wasting away hours in front of the TV is to turn it off? Who has not said to themselves every so often, I really want to take up sailing, or samba dance class or guitar, but has not done it yet? 

developing the power of observation

There are many techniques used by Act Out that aim at gently moving participants into such a space.

Firstly, tactile sensitivity exercises stimulate the sense of touch by awakening the feeling of what we touch. Similarly, they challenge ways of moving that are mechanized, bring up emotions that are not externalised and new ways of using muscles and expressing. Different parts of the body are disassociated from each other.

Then there are the activities that aim at recreating listening sensitivity and finding ‘inner rhythms’. Rhythms can often represent emotions better than words or faces.

The next category is the visual sensitivity during which participants create ‘visual dialogues’ by mirroring each other. Without verbal cues the power of observation is developed as well as a connectedness to the other.

The last group of activities I always use are the sensory sensitivity activities that enhance other senses by taking away our reliance on sight to perceive the world around us.

Blind Cars - participants receive messages through tactile signals while their eyes are closed. Another element arising through these exercises is trust.

Category: Programs & Workshops
5 Comments »

Sometimes the most seemingly mundane actions can fulfil our creative yearnings. Here are some simple actions for sparking up everyday creativity:

Bake a cake (and ice it), re-pot some plants and flowers, decorate the pots with broken crockery, write a postcard to a friend, read a poem, read another one (out loud), write a poem, make a soup you’ve never made before, make scones, tidy up your toolbox, go for a walk around your suburb and take photos of letterboxes, do a jigsaw puzzle, knit a beanie, make a CD with your favourite tunes, send it to a friend out of the blue….be creative, start small.

Category: Personal, Uncategorized
Leave a comment »

During a bushwalk today in the Kalamunda Hills east of Perth, I came across this. Erect and defiant in the middle of a gravelly path; grand in all of its two centimetres of height and less than one centimetre width, this most perfect flower.

I had to stop and admire it - pay it homage in some way. Its minuteness was its grandeur and its vulnerability its strength.

Category: Uncategorized
4 Comments »

As promised to participants of the Act Out workshop during the recent AIP2 Conference in Fremantle this October, here is a summary of what we did.

Act Out borrows mostly from Theatre of the Oppressed, a methodology developed by the late Augusto Boal, who dedicated his life to the use of theatre as a tool for social transformation. It is based on a number of premises, some of which are:

1. All human beings are actors and we are able to transcend our struggles through enacting and re-enacting our various roles;

2. It is all about power; who or what holds power over individuals and communities; how can power structures be redefined?

3. Each individual hold the key to their own liberation and empowerment

We started the session with a series of exercises and activities that centre on affecting:

1. Tactile Sensitivity - these exercises stimulate the sense of touch by awakening the feeling of what we touch. Similarly, they challenge ways of moving that are mechanized, bring up emotions that are not externalised and new ways of using muscles and expressing. Different parts of the body are disassociated form each other and cerebral control can be exercised over all muscles, no matter how small (Boal, 1992)

In the workshop we did circle and stretch, clap together, the hypnosis in pair (where one person held their hand in front of their partner and led them around the space while the partner had to maintain the same distance from the hand)

The hypnosis exercise is a great one for generating feedback on what it feels like to be in control of someone’s movements and also to be controlled by someone else. It can represent any number of relationships, in this case the comments that were made related to what it might feel for communities/individuals when we are trying to engage them.

2. Listening sensitivity - these activities aim at recreating ways of listening and finding ‘inner rhythms’ to avoid stereotyping people and characters. Rhythms can represent emotions better than words or faces.

In the worksop we did an activity called ‘two by tree by Byford’ in which pairs stand opposite each other and alternate in counting ‘one, two, three, one, two, three, etc’ and then one by one they replace each number with a movement and a sound. Everyone had a lot of fun in this one because people get to be silly together but at the same time they are working on listening, mirroring and creativity.

3. Sensory sensitivity/dynamising - in these activities sight is taken away to enhance other senses and what they perceive.

In the workshop we did ‘blind cars’  where one person stands behind their partner.The person in front is the car, the one behind is the driver. The ‘car’ has their eyes closed and the ‘driver’ gives directions by touching different parts of the back and head. They drive all over the space.

This game is great for generating trust as well. It can be done in fours as an exploration of communication and team capacity building.

4. Visual sensitivity - these activities use mirors and images to help us to see what it is that we actually see. Done in silence the dialogues created can be rich and very deep.

We did mirrors and we also did complete the image where we had people in the middle make a frozen image and a second person join them with another image to make a scene. Then the first person steps out and a new person makes a new image with the last person to go in.

a tableau representing disengagement.

When wanting to explore issues deeper TO uses the frozen images numerous ways.

The opposite image is a technique in which a tableau is made and each of the characters is asked what their internal monologue is, so if we could hear what they are thinkin what would we hear? It can also be varied to ask the characters what they are thinking, what they are feeling and what they are saying. This is done while other participants also watch. It may be the case that other participants are given the opportunity to make one change to the image.

In this workshop participants were asked to transform their image of disengagement into one of engagement. The following picture is the second ‘engagement’ image for the same group.

A tableau representing engagement

We can see that there was still one character that was not wholly engaged. In this case we took away the two engaged characters and left Ian and Tammy. We then asked what it might be that each of these characters feared or wanted. Images were made of what they expressed.

And the participants were given an idea of what a session using ‘Rainbow of Desire’ or ‘Cops in the Head’ teachniques may have looked like.

The total session was 1 hour and 15 minutes so there was not enough time go into depth with the more exploratory techniques. The aim of the workshop was to give participants an idea of the benefits of using TO as an engagement tool and the potential for allowing participants to step out of their intellects and into their bodies and their emotions.

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful feedback. I truly appreciate the input coming from practitioners like you with so much experience in engagement and public participation.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with further questions, or just to say hello!!

Category: Events
Leave a comment »