"The Rooftop" activity, it is most suitable for ages 12–15 within the primary school range.

• Awareness and here and now: Participants are encouraged to be present and aware of their immediate experiences and emotional states during the visualization and crossing.

• Creative adjustment: The activity challenges participants to creatively navigate and adjust to the metaphorical conflict represented by the steel cable crossing.

• Contact and relationship: Engaging in this activity fosters a deeper understanding of interpersonal dynamics and self-other relationships through the simulated conflict.

• Background music, cushions (one per person).

20-30 minutes. 

Preparation: Participants are divided into two groups, each facing a member of the opposite group, with a distance of 5-6 meters between them if space allows. Each person places a cushion in front of them, symbolizing an elevator.

Step 1: Begin with ambient music that symbolizes the environment. Participants are guided through a visualization where they imagine walking in a city like New York, finding the tallest building, and taking an elevator to the rooftop.

Step 2: On reaching the rooftop in their visualization, participants open their eyes to find another person facing them from the opposite building’s rooftop. Their mission is to cross to the other rooftop using an imagined steel cable.

Step 3: Participants visually cross the cable. The facilitator observes the interactions during this crossing without intervening.

Step 4: A new mission is given where participants must return to their original rooftop while preventing the opposite person from reaching theirs, embodying the Gestalt principle of creative adjustment in facing and managing conflict.

 You can adapt the "Rooftop" activity by changing the setting or scenario, incorporating different sensory details, or shifting the focus from individual reflection to group interaction.

Reflect on the experience of the cable crossing and the strategies used during both the initial and subsequent crossings.

Discuss the reaction to the task of preventing the other person from reaching their destination and the relationship of this exercise to personal perceptions of conflict.

Encourage reflection on the distinction between theatrical actions and real-life actions, exploring how participants allowed themselves to engage in behaviours not typical of real-life scenarios.

Enhanced understanding of personal and collective conflict perceptions.

Improved creativity and spontaneity in addressing conflicts.

Greater awareness of the role of conflict in narrative and personal growth.

This activity serves as a powerful metaphor for navigating life’s conflicts, emphasizing the essential role of conflict in both theatrical settings and personal growth. Facilitators should encourage participants to explore new, creative ways of engaging with conflict, fostering a safe space for experimentation and discovery.