Russell Deal – ‘The Third Act’: Sharing our Stories Before the Curtain Falls!
If each of our lives can be thought of as a unique 3-act play how is your third act playing out? What are the challenges, the joys, the frustrations, the hopes and the legacies you will leave behind?
This highly interactive workshop introduces a new conversation-building card set, ‘The Third Act: Notes on Life’s Twists and Turns’ to invite folk to talk about the important issues in their adult lives.
The Third Act workshop and card set has particular relevance to anyone transitioning from work to ‘retirement’ and to anyone approaching ‘old age’ where issues of health and well-being can emerge unexpectedly.
About Russell Deal:
Russell is an aging social worker who worked initially in Victoria’s prisons before becoming a welfare educator and the working as a social work publisher at St Luke’s Anglicare where he founded and directed ‘Innovative Resources’. Russell helped create some 60 ‘conversation-building’ tools that are used by human service practitioners throughout the world. Russell is now ‘retired’ but still provides supervision to social work students on placement. The Third Act card set is his first independent publication since leaving St Luke’s.
Nicole Feledy – Be the Author of Your Own Story Rather than a Character in Someone Else’s – The Art of Mindful Storytelling
Participants will learn the art of storytelling, practice mindfulness and strengthen their ability to be the best version of themselves. Through a series of activities, they will develop their understanding of literary narrative structure and language techniques. Then they practice mindfulness to recognise how being alert to their ‘self talk stories’ can provide the space to choose which story to attend to. As participants start to make the connections between being mindfully alert to their stories, they will use storyboarding techniques to ‘rescript’ or reshape the ‘It was meant to be’ story so they may be the author rather than the character in their life.
This workshop uses explicate mindfulness and narrative practices to help people access their thoughts. It then helps people to see the connection between those thoughts and their emotions and behaviours. This can help participants learn strategies for managing self talk and increasing mental health.
About Nicole Feledy:
Nicole Feledy has been described as a mind trainer, emotions coach and strengths teacher. While working in schools, she witnessed a growing sense of despair in many of her students. They were frustrated, lost and battling to figure out, ‘who am I’ and ‘where I belong’. Nicole wanted to help, but knew it needed to be tangible and sustainable help -a way of living rather than an add on. Using her skills as a Gallup certified Strengths Coach, Meditation trainer and English teacher she created programs to help people understand how narrative connects thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Instead of worrying about what’s missing, these programs use the power of narrative, the habits of mindfulness and the focus of strengths to help people become the author of their story rather than a character in someone else’s.
Melbourne Playback Theatre Company – come and play
You may have seen playback theatre before – a unique storytelling practice that transforms the personal stories of an audience into captivating theatre; where the audience are the scriptwriters of their very own show that has never been seen before and will never be seen again.
Well, now its time to dive below the surface and learn about the storytelling, listening and performance techniques that we at Melbourne Playback use in our work.
In this fun, playful and interactive session you will share stories, listen deeply and turn a story into theatre using a movement score or maybe even a song! If you’ve ever wanted to have a go at playback theatre, if you’ve ever been curious as to ‘how they do it’…come play.
No performance experience required. All that is required is a willingness to listen, play and share a story.
Our participants have referred to our workshops as ‘going to the gym for your soul’. We hope that the people who attend this workshop will leave more connected to themselves and to each other and ready to “tune in” to the stories they encounter.
About Melbourne Playback Theatre Company:
Melbourne Playback Theatre Company has been delighting audiences in Melbourne and around Australia for over 35 years. Made up of an ensemble of 14 performers, our actors and musicians continue to use their performance practices to inform the development of our unique take on playback theatre. Our vision is to create connection and positive actions through the power of story. Our mission is transformation through the spirit of play and the sharing of experience in performances and training. We are a not-for-profit incorporated association that works regularly with groups in the government, corporate, education and not-for-profit sectors. We provide performances, workshops, role-play and training to those seeking ways to create connection and develop skills in communication, leadership, collaboration and storytelling. For case studies, testimonial and information about our team please visit: www.melbourneplayback.com.au
Annie Bolitho – Death cafe style conversations – a story tool in training
Death cafe style conversations are open and free ranging without a fixed agenda. Many personal stories emerge about death, grief and loss. One of the most difficult things for anyone, including skilled health professionals, is to sit and simply take in another’s experience of loss, uncertainty and hurt. A facilitated death cafe style conversation gives participants the opportunity to simply attend to others’ experiences. Here we can learn and grow a little more receptive, as ordinary people and professionals. There are benefits for wellbeing in knowing that the experiences, fears and growth that are associated with death, grief and loss are mysteriously held in common.
Training on grief, loss and death often focuses on the ‘head’ and ‘hands’ aspects of professional development. The storied ‘heart’ dimension enhances wellbeing for health professionals. Participants will feel enlivened by talking about death, and might be somewhat surprised to feel this way. Participants will have an appreciation that training can include sitting quietly at times, enjoying simple rituals, and the shared human experience of mortality.
About Annie Bolitho:
Annie is a facilitator, funeral organiser and educator. In her work, stories help people to connect and reflect. Annie is the author of ‘Death, a love project’, and convenes seasonal Death Cafes in Melbourne.
Geof Hill – Into the Woods – a process for developing organisational pantomime
This experiential workshop draws on Sondheim’s (1986) creation of ‘Into the Woods’ to explore the crossover of multiple fairy stories as foundations to the ways in which we operate as ‘actors’ in everyday life. The workshop process provides a way of working with individuals, groups and indeed organisations to explore the impact of scriptural interplay on organisational and life settings. It helps to raise consciousness about interpersonal relationships in work and life and how we can not only hold to a well embedded ‘script’ but, through consciousness raising, change the ‘script’.
Becoming conscious of your ‘scripts’ in everyday life help to bring a sense of well-being and mindfulness. Some ‘scripts’ may be stressful and raising consciousness about them can lead to resolution of dysfunctional ‘scripts’.
About Geof Hill:
Dr Geof Hill is the Principal of The Investigative Practitioner – a management consultancy established in 2000 to support professionals investigate their practices. Since his early training as a Psychologist he has been using drama methods as a tool for eliciting interpersonal ‘scripts’. The ‘Into the Woods’ workshop was originally devised in 1990 for a group of Early Childhood students in Sydney (Australia) and later showcased at the Transactional Analysis Conference in Sydney in November 1991. In the wake of emergence of the Performative Paradigm (Haseman, 2006), he has returned to many of his earlier facilitation methods to explore the ways in which theatre, dance, music and movement can be used to support exploration of the ways in which professional people interact with each other.
References:
Haseman, B. (2006) A Manifesto for Performative Research. Media International Australia incorporating Culture and Policy, theme issue “Practice-led Research” (118), 98-106.
Sondheim, S. (1986) Into the Woods . Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine.
Kathy Overton – Story Listening, Story Telling: Working with bushfire affected communities while working in bushfire affected organisations
Working with communities affected by bushfire or other disasters requires empathy, compassion vulnerability, energy and persistence. Fundamental to building relationships and trust in these communities is conversation and storytelling.
Using story with the intention of supporting recovery and building resilience, as well as enabling learning, greater connectedness and supporting new or stronger relationships, outcomes that can be unpredictable, unexpected, yet very powerful, occur.
When effectively used and in a safe space, conversations and story can be healing, cathartic and contribute to feelings of connection and being valued by others. With the ability to listen for stories and having skills in enabling the telling of the stories, a powerful process that empowers people and communities emerges. As a foremost priority of community-based bushfire work and with examples from fire affected Victorian communities, we discuss some of the powerful outcomes achieved through this way of working.
Working with communities about bushfire, especially when an organisation has also been impacted, requires a strong focus on well being of both workers and community members. Central to this is open and honest conversation, the ability to listen and story telling.
About Kathy Overton:
Kathy Overton is a Community Based Bushfire Management Officer with the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) in the Port Phillip Region. She has many years’ experience as a Science teacher in NSW and Victorian schools, with particular interest in the natural world. She has also had extensive experience in environmental and bushfire community and school education, working as an education officer at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, at DELWP, Sustainability Victoria, CFA and in her own consultancy business. In recent years, her work focus is working with communities to better understand bushfire risk and what it takes to better prepare for, respond to and recover from bushfires.
Andrew Shirres – Strengths through stories: the role of visual and literary metaphors in human service practice
Sometimes the ‘issue’ or ‘problem’ can be all consuming, constructing narrow short-stories that can, even unintentionally, disempower the people we are hoping to support, creating a dynamic that impacts upon the workers’ well-being and affect the culture of the organisations where they are based.
This workshop will explore the use of simple yet sophisticated visual and literary resources to encourage richer conversations to be had and enable the most helpful stories to be told. Participants will practice using a range of materials and techniques that can be applied easily in a range of settings, both within organisations and throughout the community.
Strengths-based ‘parallel practice’ acknowledges that the way in which we work with others can determine not only effective work with others but our own well-being and our organisational cultures.
You will find yourself leaving this workshop:
- Having experienced the way in which sometimes surprising, ‘left of field’ strengths-based stories can be developed through the use of visual tools and resources.
- Having practiced and having developed confidence in applying different techniques that enable their use.
- Having new ideas on how visual resources can foster practice refection, improve worker well-being and influence workplace culture.
About Andrew Shires:
For more than 10 years now Andrew, in his current role as the practice development coach for St Luke’s Innovative Resources, has been a facilitator of workshops around strengths-based reflective practice for human services and educational organisations across Australia and overseas. More broadly, Andrew’s background includes stints as a truck-driver, excavator operator, hotel manager, exhibiting artist, mental health social worker, program manager, amongst others, that have exposed him to the beauty of people and the stories they can tell. Andrew has a strong passion for promoting human rights and social justice, values that form the foundation for respectful, hopeful strength-based practice at all levels.
Andrew S Gilbert – Using Narrative techniques with young people before the courts
An understanding of how narrative techniques can be used to improve the agency of young people before the courts and how these techniques are applicable in areas such as workplace supervision and clarifying the values and goals of an organisation.
Narrative Therapy Techniques can be creatively applied to a wide range of workplace challenges.Seeing how it works in the challenging environment of youth justice allows participants to imagine how it might apply to other workplace situations.
This session would include an explanation and examples of Narrative Therapy techniques. A description of specific Narrative techniques used in counselling sessions with young people. A short practical session exploring a narrative technique using story elements and led discussion on how they might be successfully utilised in other workplace settings.
About Andrew S Gilbert:
Andrew S Gilbert has a extensive background as a celebrated actor in Film,Television and Theatre.He is also a widely experienced teacher and lecturer in Screen studies and acting at a Tertiary level.He presently works for Boston University Study Abroad program,as a Corporate trainer for NIDA and works In the Justice System with young offenders and various upstream programs preventing violence against women.He also has a private Narrative Therapy Practice. He is a graduate in Acting from the WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAPPA) and has Masters in Applied Theatre Studies(UNE)and Graduate Certificate in Narrative Therapy and Community Work (LaTrobe).
Johanna de Ruyter – The Body of Story
Stories move us, and they move through us in ways we are not conscious to or at least not generally listening to. The body is another teller of your story and sometimes it can unintentionally tell a whole other story. What happens to the story when we let our bodies tell the story?
By focusing on the body as a storyteller, we enable another understanding of story to be revealed and to emerge outside of our logic (logos – words). Our bodies are imprinted by stories and seek their moment to speak. In this workshop, we will listen to the Body of Story.
Engaging in body based experiences lend a healing hand to maintaining self care. Culturally we are driven by our mind and our thoughts with this function often working overtime to make sense of our world. This can be energetically draining and we can get confused by what is real – our thoughts, our senses, our stories? My work aims to integrate and align all of our intelligences – mind, feeling, physical, gut, intuitive for a greater sense of wholeness and presence in how we show up and communicate with others.
About Johanna de Ruyter:
Johanna is passionate about getting people moving and utilizing movement and action for deepening expanding and strengthening communication. For over twenty years now she has been exploring the complementary relationship of communication and the performing arts. She completed a Diploma in Movement at The Drama Action centre in Sydney, she obtained a BA in Communication, a Diploma in Remedial Massage and a Black and Brown belt in two different Martial Arts. She has worked as an actor and collaborator on various award-winning improvised theatre projects both nationally and internationally and is a long-term improviser, facilitator and trainer with Playback Theatre Sydney. For over 8 years she has facilitated training in Leadership Presence throughout the Asia Pacific region for the Ariel Group. She also designs and delivers experientially based Training, Coaching and Presentations programs for a range of clients through her own company Moving Communication.
Chris Riedy – Finding Transformative Narratives, Exploring Our Common Ground
Humanity is faced with a transformative challenge; we must find new ways of living within planetary boundaries while ensuring that all have access to basic human rights. In meeting this challenge, we need new transformative narratives to help us clearly see the challenges we face and the dangers that lie ahead, capture visions of the future we want, share successful strategies, show individuals how they can play a part in the collective transformation, and build motivation to act.
The focus of my workshop is on transformative narratives that can help us collectively make progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Achieving these goals would have huge positive impacts on health and well-being for people around the world. For the participants, having a sense of a shared positive narrative is likely to contribute positively to their personal sense of well-being.
This workshop will take a diverse group of participants through a process of discovering and documenting the narrative of a sustainable future that they hold dear, and then finding common ground with other participants. The session ties in with the ongoing work of the Meta-Narrative Working Group of the SDG Transformations Forum (https://www.transformationsforum.net/). This group is working to build the systems that can transform narratives, through analysing narratives, connecting those who are working on narrative and experimenting with narrative interventions.
About Chris Riedy:
Chris Riedy is Professor of Sustainability Governance and Director of Higher Degree Research at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney. He is a transdisciplinary academic with a research interest in governance and social change for sustainable futures. Chris draws on sociological and political theory, narrative theory, futures thinking and transformative science to design, facilitate and evaluate practical experiments in transformative change towards sustainable futures. Chris is Lead Steward of the Meta-Narrative Working Group under the SDG Transformation Forum, an organisation working to develop systems to support transformation towards the Sustainable Development Goals. He has led more than 80 research projects including current work on megatrends and scenarios for the City of Sydney’s Sustainable Sydney 2050 initiative and pioneering research on collaborative housing as an option for older Australians. He has published two books, more than 40 peer-reviewed articles or chapters, more than 60 research reports and hundreds of web articles.