Workshop 1: An Introduction to Playback Theatre
Aims and Objectives:
Playback Theatre is about telling, sharing and honouring stories through a variety of improvisation techniques and forms. This participatory workshop is a basic introduction to Playback Theatre and will include some games and techniques which can be used in all sorts of settings to creatively engage with anyone, but particularly with young people. Be prepared to move around a bit so don't wear restrictive clothing!
Workshop Leader:
Bernie Hammond read Drama and Italian at Bristol University. She came to Playback Theatre via Psychodrama in 2004, since then she has been a regular attendee at the UK and Ireland Playback Gatherings. She did the Core Playback training with Veronica Needa and Orla McKeagney of the UK School of Playback Theatre in Belfast in 2007. She is co-founder of Ecco Playback Theatre, Liverpool, a senior trainee psychodrama psychotherapist with the Northern School of Psychodrama and currently works as a psychological wellbeing practitioner in Primary Care in Liverpool. She has extensive experience of caring for family members with a range of mental and physical health challenges and worked for 3 years as an employment advisor in a Supported Employment team in Secondary Mental Health services. She has lived in Liverpool since 1986.
Workshop 2: Creating Dramas out of Illness Crisis
Aims and Objectives:
This workshop aims to explore using psychodrama and art as therapeutic interventions when working with young people who are ill; from diagnosis of an acute episode on to chronic and life threatening illness. One specific intervention will form the basis of the workshop - the six part story - which can be used both for assessment and as a therapeutic medium.
Workshop Leader:
Dr Kate Kirk has worked for Isle of Man CAMHS as a psychodrama psychotherapist since 2001; as part of her role she co-ordinates the paediatric liaison services. She works closely with local paediatricians and other professionals involved in the care of young people who have experiences of illness, for example as part of the multi-disciplinary diabetes, cystic fibrosis and chronic fatigue teams. Prior to this she worked as a psychodrama psychotherapist for Salford Palliative Care Counselling Service with clients, of all ages, who had a life-threatening illness, post-diagnosis through to the terminal phase. She has written extensively on her experiences of this work.
Workshop 3: Working Creatively in Schools: The Work of the Haven Project in Liverpool
Aims and Objectives:
This workshop will introduce the innovative work of the Haven Project in Liverpool, a school based mental health service for asylum and refugee children. It will introduce the film 'A Safe Haven', a group intervention with asylum, refugee, and local children using art, psychodrama, storytelling, gardening, and rap music. This film was premiered at FACT, an independent cinema in Liverpool and was part of the Holocaust Memorial National Event in 2008.
Workshop Leader:
Carl Dutton is Lead Therapist for the Haven Project and is a psychodrama psychotherapist and mental health nurse. He is book review editor of the British Psychodrama Association, BPA Executive member, and chaired the 2008 BPA Conference in Liverpool. He has presented the work of the Haven nationally and internationally.
Workshop 4: Story-Telling with School-Aged Children
Aims and Objectives:
This workshop will explore the use of storytelling as a way to develop children's self esteem and confidence in being the tellers of stories and active participants. The workshop will introduce the audience to the art of telling a good story and much more, and will model a simple visual activity whereby education workers, mentors and teachers may use visual stimuli to excite the imagination of children and enable them to create their own story narratives. Participants will be offered the opportunity to have a natural attempt at telling a story verbally without visual aids.
Workshop Leader:
James Robinson is a storyteller who has worked in schools in Liverpool as well as in West Africa with Mustle Africa Trust. Now based in Liverpool, James moved from drama training in South London to working with an intergenerational project called Age Exchange Theatre making musical reminiscence plays, featuring elders and children. Since 1997 he has performed as a storyteller active in the international revival of the age-old art-form. He has visited east, west and southern Africa many times, learning from other tellers and in-turn reciprocating with sessions. He has published stories by the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language and the Times Educational Supplement. Recently he was guest storyteller/workshop facilitator as part of the Africa @ 21 'Coming of age through reading' programme, British Council, South Africa.
