Follow up – local pilot activity (The artist within – first training in hungary feb/march 2015) - Leipzig 08.05.2015 Theater Vision e.V.contact person: Sophie Bouchbouk, eiphos@hotmail.com, info@mimerie.de target group: people in helping professionsleader: Sophie Bouchbouk, Blerte Dibrany, Steffi Schramm, Christopher Brandt, Bettina Keil

Description of the activity/Betting

general introduction/Bettina:The pilot activity in Leipzig was addressed to people in helpingprofessions, so a group of young people with professions variing fromergotherapy to studying dance therapy was invited on May 8th to get toknow and practice exercices from the Training „Integral expression anddance therapy training” in Hungary as part of the project It’s never toolate! Reviving the hidden Artist within.

The group having taken part in the training decided to join for theactivity and offer a great variety of exercises. People attending in thepilot activity are generally already open minded and willing toexperience themselves and others. Already at arrival the groupatmosphere was really smooth, feeling the relieve of every-day-stressfalling off and stepping into a safe, warm, welcoming area forexperience and contact.

Organisational point of view/SophieFrom an organisational point of view the pilot activity was really difficult to realize. It was very hard to coordinate the former participants of the hungariantraining so one time we had to postpone the activity, because the former participants did not have enough time on the arranged date and they did not findenough participants. So we ended up after the dead line for the pilot activity. There were also a lot of troubles with the room that we rented for the training,but that's another story. So next time it will be communicated from all the beginning that the pilot action is an important part of the whole project and that they may participate in the european training only if they are motivated and available for the pilot activity after. We will even ask a deposit of the participants that they get back only after the pilot activity end make a contract with them.But one time we have all been present at the pilot activity it was very nice to meet each other again and to repeat the exercises from the training. The group felt very familiar with each other as we spent an intensive week together before. I could feel that there was lots of trust among the leading group.Because of my organizational role, I could relax only in the second half of the action, because I felt responsible for the participants and for the leaders as well. I was observing the timing of the activites and the instructions and from time to time I tried to help the leaders when I thought that something was missing or to much (for example during one action there were musicians starting to rehearsal outside and so I switched of the music of our activity to solve thedisturbing that I felt in the activity and to restabilize a good atmosphere, in other moments I whispered them some things that were missing in the instructions). So I continued the double role that I had already in hungary – tobe participant and organizer as well – a thing that is difficult or at least

demanding and should beanalized as well for future times....

Leading SophieI did an introduction to the whole project and the activity that we were going to realize here and let the former and then the new participants introduce theirselfes.Then there was Steffi spontaneously taking over and doing a massage activity. She wanted to create a trusting area for everybody. So I spontaneously cancelledthe name game that I had planed for that moment.

Leading Sophie/Look into each other's eyes:

Later I took over and did the “look into each other's eyes”-activity.Peolpe are standing in two lines in front of each other, everyone has a partner on the opposite side. Both look into each other's eyes and don't stop that during the whole activity. One partner starts to walk towards the other and tries to feel how close he can come so that both still feel comfortable. In the found distance he stays for a while, than he walks backwards, both relax, than the other one starts.

I was enjoying doing the exercise. I could see how people were very concentratedand made a big effort to fulfill all my instructions. I could also see a deeper sense in the exercise. In hungary I did it as a participant, now I did it as a leader and that showed me more perspectives of the exercise. People learn about their comfortable zone and they learn to be sensitive for the comfortable zone of their counterpart. They also have to create a relation ship in an active way and they have to really look into the eyes of their partner –both things that often get lost in daily life...

After I let the pairs reflect on the experience they made and it was really interesting that they found a lot of things to exchange although they did not know each other before.

For my professional background there are two things left:1. I will surely use exercices of the hungarian training in my own group works and workshops. 2. I learnt a lot from the organisational perspective – for sure next time I canimprove a lot of things!!!

Leading Blerte/giving impulses for dancing

The activity:There is the need of building pairs of three people.One of the three-paired-group will stand in the middle of the two others and start moving slowly. While focusing to the music and moving getting impulses by the music the person will also get impulses by the two other people of the groupby touching. The person in the middle will slowly close eyes and be lead by music and by the touches of the other group-members. The group members make surethat the person in the middle can move and dance freely – for example: they protect him/her for crushing into the wall. Once the person in the middle is dancing in a dynamic way the other group members decide not to give touching-impulses anymore and they just let the person dance and still make sure that he/she doesn’t hurt himself/herself.

Result: The activity was easy to explain and organize. The group liked it very much. Thetime that was set (each person dancing for 5 minutes) wasn’t enough. The music affects the movings of people a lot. It was quite hard to choose a music that starts with a gentle and slow rhythm and that gets faster by the time. The music was very fast and dynamic, so people started moving very fast and wentto the dancing level very fast. One male group member that introduced himself in the beginning as “someone that is not able to dance” especially liked this exercise because he found out that with some support (by music and touching) he started to dance.

Leading Steffi:

I have instructed two exercises:On the one hand, quite spontaneously, the massage practice in groups of three people. It was a Friday and I had the feeling that this exercise is a good start. Participants were able to gently arrive in the group.Later, I instructed the yes / no exercise:In pairs each one partner has made a claim. The other had the task to feel in himself if he wants to meet this requirement or not. If so, the other is thankedfor fulfillment. If not, was changed the same. After the exercise, there was time to exchange ideas. The active also was used.

Here I have learned that it is important to give clear instructions.

In our pilot project I realized that I also like to lead groups. In my daily practice, I have worked so far only in individual sessions. Now I could see thatthe group work creates its own dynamic, which also carries the group. I think about how I can apply my knowledge in groups.

In Hungary the biggest challenge for me was to have to little privacy. I need myprivacy to regenerate myself. Otherwise this kind of work was not new because

of my own therapeutic training.

It has been shown that our respectful hungary interaction with one another amongthe former participants of the training has created a positive working atmosphere. This has been certified by the participants after the event. It was even asked about supporting workshops.

Leading Bettina/closed eyes avticity/outside:

Spontanous changes of the planned program helped to adapt to peoplesneeds for breaks, calming down or activation. Therefore the outsideactivity was moved from the beginning of the break to the end of thebreak. As it was a pair activity outside changing the time was noproblem, as it was meant to lead into the break, it could also be usedto gather the participants at the end of the break for the second partof the training inside.

The participants were asked to form groups of two, who might not havebeen working together, yet. Then the rules were introduced: An excercisefor leading and following, for awareness and trust, for exploration anddiscovering the outside area of the training place. One person was asked

to close the eyes, the other one was asked to lead the temporarelydisabled person through the garden, taking care for the person and foritself, letting the person discover the area in a new way. Having onesense shut off other senses are taking over the capacities. Occasionallythe exercise was accompanied by live music of bandoneon and violine. Agreat setting for discovering the surroundings.

Some people were very reliant from the beginning on, shutting the eyesto be lead whereever it goes. Others were a little more concerned, having stretched out the hands to avoid walking against anything and having pulled thehead down for not hitting anything. Every stone, every bump, every branch of a tree (having seen it before the exercise) can be big Stolpersteins in thehead of a blind person and in the way of apoorly lead blind person. Most of the participants were leading their blind partner very gently through the garden, others were pushing orpulling a little more. In this matter there was no intervention by the instructor, as the participants should figure that out on their own after the practice. Every stone, every flower, feathers, balls, brooms, the grass, the trees, the wet clotheshanging over a rope are interesting new things for the blind person, things to touch, to feel,to breath, to hear. After ten minutes the pairs wreeasked to switch roles. After another ten minutes they had the chance to discuss theirexperiences concerning themselve and the other one, each role and the explored things.

Having a small group of participants it was possible to giveintervention instructions like „please don't talk during this exercise,there will be time for it afterwards“ or „You are welcome to switchroles now, the first ten minutes are over“ to each pair instead of thewhole group at once as no one had a watch and the pairs were quitespread although the garden was not too big. This way no one wasdisturbed, not the other pairs nor the musicians.

Being responsible for foto documentation, I was not able to attend inall of the activities. I felt very comfortable giving the instructionsto the open minded participants. Although I was glad, they did not asktoo many questions about the backround and the awaited outcome of theactivity, as I was not sure about the objective aims of the exercise.Practicing giving instructions for practice might show more details tofocus on and give better instructions in the beginning of the exercisealthough they should not exeed a certain amount of time and information,

as participants might become bored, overinformed or busy. Having had thechance to give instructions and lead a voluntary group of nonpayingparticipants was a great experiences, making me eager for furtherworkshops of bodywork in a voluntary setting. Last but not least, thereaction of the participants was quite similar: „Let's do more!“ „Weshould meet again!“ „Thank you for the great experience!“. A greatexperience and maybe a new direction of work for myself.

Leading Christopher/”the helper”, painting in pairs, sticks

Give and receive

Its a partner practice. One of them lay down on his side, you have to use a blanket to feel comfortable. The partner behind shin-bone on spinal, feet on calf. The hands follow the breath and assist it. Coincidentally in the background was played live music by violin and accordion. The practice takes 10 – 15 then they had to change.

Afterwardsthe couplesdraw togetherto evaluatetheirthoughts andfeelings.

Move together with sticks of woodBuild pairs first. Try to balance the stick of wood between yours and your partners forefinger.The exercise would be provided by music. Then combine 2 pairs to a group of four. At least all participants together. Each round takes 3 – 5 minutes.

The participants like the exercises and would meet us again to do more exercises.The atmosphere was very peaceful.Participants have understood everything right away, there were hardly any questions. Participants will have our full confidence and skills exercises met with.I learn a bit more how to lead a group and how to prepare such a training.Well that I could rely on my partner who pointed me to minor errors in execution.

for some exercises you had to choose the music very well, so that everyone can fall into the exercises.

The training in Hungary make me more confident.Perhaps I want to become a leader, may I start with kids later I also want to lead adults.

Closing/Sophie

The participants were really relaxed, lucky and greatful at the end. Most of them asked for going on with the activity another time. They expressed that we gave them something that they missed in their daily life – a playfull beeing, toget in touch with each other in a special way, to do some body work ecc. So the end was really touching and motivating for a next activity and there was also anincreased interest in this kind of european projects.

Conclusion/Sophie

When we did our pilot action I learned a lot more about the use of the methodology and how it can help people and groups of people. I found out how youcan create a very special atmosphere among people.

I think the exercises can bring up a lot of feelings and therefore they are veryuseful for therapy. In hungary I had difficulties with the set-up. It was said that it was not meant as a therapy, but one could see that some people were taking the training as if it was one – I was wondering who would help them to cope with their feelings after.

After all these thoughts I enjoyed quite much the pilot activity as it showed menew ways and senses of how to use the methodology and I liked to be a leader nowand not a participant any longer. I enjoyed people were interested and followingand I enjoyed to see the former participants of the hungarian training as leaders. So my conclusion is that the pilot activites are very uselful!