AUDIENCE ARRIVAL
People show up. They walk into the room. One host instructs people to have a seat in any one of the 9 available chairs set up in a circle. The other host is already seated in one of the 10 chairs. Once everyone is seated, activities can begin.
INTRODUCTION
HOST 1: Hello everyone, thank you for attending the movement experience this evening with Jamie and Angela. We are excited for you to participate in a journey of exploring ideas of safety, boundaries, and edges and what those mean for each of us. If at any time you would not like to participate in an activity, you are welcome to decline. We’ll now guide you through a series of activities.
ACTIVITY 1
HOST 1: Using the pad of paper and writing utensil supplied to each of you on your chairs, please write down a thing that you would like to see someone do. Once you have finished writing that thing down, fold up your piece of paper, and I will ask you to put it into my hat.
AUDIENCE engages with requested activity and put written ideas in the hat.
HOST 1: Now I’ll ask that [HOST 2] selects an item from the hat, and invites themselves to perform the action described for 2 minutes. [HOST 2] will also be attending to ideas of boundaries, safety, and exploration that come up as they respond to your desire.
HOST 2 selects an item from the hat, and reads it out loud. HOST 2 begins exploring the prompt. HOST 1 times HOST 2 using a chicken timer (or other timer). When 2 minutes conclude, HOST 1 speaks.
HOST 1: We’re at 2 minutes. I’d like to invite you [AUDIENCE] to ask [HOST 2] anything you like about their experience.
AUDIENCE asks questions. If silent, HOST 1 may choose to use the back-up question: “[HOST 2], is there anything that you would like to share about your experience?” After a few minutes of questions, move on.
HOST 1: We’d now like to invite everyone to select a prompt from the hat, and read the prompt silently to yourself.
AUDIENCE selects a prompt per person.
HOST 2: Great. I’ll now set a timer for 5 minutes, and invite us all to explore the prompt described while attending to ideas of boundaries and safety that come up as you respond to someone else’s desire. This invitation is up to your own interpretation. We will now begin.
Everyone participates (just kidding, only maybe). If persons choose not to participate, that is fine. HOST 2 will be monitoring AUDIENCE's movements to make sure people don’t hurt each other. HOST 2 will set a chicken timer (or other timer) for 5 minutes. When 5 minutes conclude, HOST 2 speaks.
HOST 2: We’re at 5 minutes. Please slowly begin to bring your explorations to a close and have a seat when you’re ready.
AUDIENCE and HOSTS are seated.
HOST 2: We’ll take a few minutes to reflect on our experiences. To start with, is there anything that folks would like to share about their experience?
HOST 2 invites the audience to ask questions to each other, and can also enrich the conversation with observations.
INTERMISSION (5 min)
ACTIVITY 2
HOST 1: When I say go, please move your chairs to the outside edge of the room and come back to stand in the center of the room around us. Go.
AUDIENCE moves their chairs. HOSTS 1 and 2 both join in.
HOST 2: Now, when I say “go”, you’ll have 30 seconds to organize yourselves in space in a way that feels comfortable without speaking. Go.
People do the thing. HOST 2 times for 30 seconds. HOST 1 joins in.
HOST 1: Awesome. This time, when I say “go”, without speaking, you’ll have 30 seconds to organize yourselves in space in a way that feels uncomfortable, but respects others’ boundaries. Once you’ve found your uncomfortable spot, please stay there until the chicken timer goes off.
People do the thing again. HOST times for 1 minute. HOST 2 joins in.
HOST 2: Great, relax where you are, and when I say “go”, please retrieve your chairs and bring them back into a circle where we can sit down. You’ll then have a couple of minutes to write in your notepad about the following prompts:
- What type of discomfort did you feel?
- What motivated that discomfort?
- Did you find yourself coping with that discomfort?
- If so, what did you notice yourself doing to cope with the discomfort?
Keep in mind that this writing is for your eyes only. You’ll be given the opportunity to share verbally afterwards if you like, but are not required to. Go.
HOST 1 times for 3 minutes. AUDIENCE and HOST 2 move chairs, sit, and write.
HOST 1: Great, we’d like to open the floor for a conversation. Would anyone like to share something that they noticed about the last activities? [Backup: HOST 1 or 2 can share something]
AUDIENCE and HOSTS have a conversation.
HOST 2: Thank you all for joining us today. We appreciate your willingness to participate in a movement experience together. If you have any thoughts, questions, or concerns that you’d like to share with us, please feel free to speak with us after the event, or email us at the addresses listed on the back of your notepad.
END