Creating Connectedness

Social presencing theater

Monday, October 22, 10:00am – 11:30am

Organized by Delia Reid, senior program officer, Stuart Foundation; and Arawana Hayashi, choreographer, performer, educator, Social Presencing Theater.

Moderated by Delia Reid, senior program officer, Stuart Foundation. Presented by Arawana Hayashi, choreographer, performer, educator, Social Presencing Theater; and Adam Yukelson, action research fellow, Presencing Institute.

Today, many of us deeply experience the challenges facing our global and local communities such as climate change, social and economic inequality, and spiritual depletion. These show up in all our systems – education, healthcare, governance, etc. Often our view on these issues is quite narrow. We experience through our own lenses, our own attitudes, and values. We are unable to suspend our own opinions to identify with others or to see the whole picture. Social Presencing Theater (SPT), created by the Presencing Institute, is an arts-based method that enables us to see and sense a whole system. These systems could be our individual body-mind, our teams, our organizations or larger social systems. It is a method in which we embody both our current situation with its stuck patterns, and the inherent creativity and healthiness in our situations. It brings the “body knowing” into our awareness and into the process of change. This session will begin with a short introduction of the work and its applications, and will engage attendees in an embodiment practice and reflection process that uses visual art media. SPT has its roots in mindfulness, awareness, and the Theory U change theory, joining reflection with activism.