For Safe Spaces in Community Collectives
A Liberation Arts Cultures Workshop
Working courageously helps us feel safe when creating collectively
What is behind amazing improvisation by a dancer singer or musician? What is at work when 2 or more can improvise at the same time? The traditions of the "The Circle" combine fundamental relationships between music, dance and song to support a multitude of improvisation can occur at the same time.
To holds safe space using modern treatments of traditional art and culture, we approach from two sides: from leadership accountability and from everyones participation in consensus.
Consider these roles:
Who can hold the Lion's Roar?; the executive facilitators.
Who hold the Wolf's howls?; the advocates, confidants, therapist, mediator etc..
The scribe/note-taker as the collective conscious.
Making a call: To open the call and to close the call.
Passing the Token: taking turns in the lead position offering a verse, solo dance, statements etc.
This workshop isolates (unit-tasking) the playing of percussion instruments, singing in call and response, and dancing battle style. We then build (in a soft layered approach) multi-tasking skills and improvisational creative abilities. By identifying our artist inside, this workshop can get all participants to manifest their creative powers in group.
Stories and Exercises
Story of Community: Puxada de Rede
The Folkloric dance Puxada de Rede narrates the work of a community on the sea shore, applying collective strength for a community cause, harvesting fish.
Capoeira Diasporia Exercises
Start in a circle (move in and out to make the circle larger and smaller. Agree together: Everything we do will be appropriate and safe. The facilitator takes care of appropriate and each takes care of safe.
Call and Response Sing La La E caller game. The lead steps into the circle to creatively express themselves. The response is the chorus that answers. "One band One Sound". Discuss the circle and the family structure, equality, leadership, a chance to lead as na individual and the chance to hear your voice in a 100% participation chorus.
Things in Africa game: wood, wire representing a vine, stones, sticks, drum, shaker. What are the tools of our Basic needs. Need something to fish, something to drink with, walking stick, something to make fire with. Stretch and mime - Trees, wind blowing trees, Animals Elephant, Giraffe, snake
The Passage:
Form a line holding the shoulder of the person in front of you and walk a modified Ginga to the other side of the room. If possible do this in silence.
When we arrive on the other side allow people to just sit around. Ginga around each other
Partner games in the ginga negaca when you get a new partner.
Videos
How to Speak so that people Listen - TED Talk Julian Treasure
Don't be So Defensive TED Talk - Jim Tamm
Structures
A | B | C
Clock
The 4 quadrants