In early September, I completed the Social Presencing Theatre Practitioner Development program, awarded by the Presencing Institute, with teachers Arawana Hayashi, Manish Srivastava, and Angela Baldini. Together with more than 20 social leaders, change-makers, educators, consultants and community activists from different continents I deepened, strengthened and expanded my capacity to engage with this embodied social arts-based change methodology.
More and more I am introducing arts-based practices and theatre processes into my work, whether it is one on one leadership coaching or team facilitation or even speaking at a conference. For me, embodied ways of knowing are a must have for transformation, for creating the inner shift needed to shift organizational culture and larger systems.
I recently introduced one of the foundational SPT practices, the 20-minute dance – a practice in which we pay attention to the feeling of the body, without thinking about it or judging it – to a group of Board members. We came together a month later and they reflected on their experience. They shared how at first, they were confused about us sitting outside on the grass starting with a mindfulness of the body exercise and how that had anything to do with the purpose of the retreat. We were there to talk about and plan for the recruitment of the next Executive Director. They felt that setting the stage for their gathering with a more embodied experience resulted in a more meaningful, deeper, and richer conversation. Being embodied changed the outcome of the day. They left with a deeper connection to themselves as board members, their governance role and the organization. They were able to plan their next steps from this place of deep presence and authenticity. Like Arawana Hayashi often says – it was the act of a true move.
Check out the Presencing Institute website for resources and programs on Social Presencing Theatre. You can also check out ImaginAction’s website for more resources on SPT.