Working with young people draws a lot on our emotions, especially in contexts where we are supporting them through painful times. Whether we think about it or not, in our work we are often driven by formative experiences from our own youth, and unexpected resonances can feel triggering or lead us to burn out. However, if we become aware of the connections to our own stories, and what has helped us on our journeys, these resonances can be deeply energising and in themselves help us have far more to offer to the young people we want to support.
Using art and theatre, Hector Aristizábal creates spaces where people can use their creative energy and imagination to play and heal as individuals and as communities. Born in Medellin, Colombia during the civil war, he survived torture and the loss of his brothers. In exile, Hector struggled to overcome his rage and desire for vengeance and decided to channel these energies instead into constructive social action. Sharing with others the practices that have enabled healing within himself, he has worked with people at the front line across the world, in Northern Ireland, Palestine, Rwanda, with gangs in LA, families in the criminal justice system in the USA, and now with survivors of the war in his homeland of Colombia.
In the workshop we will be invited to explore the following questions:
-- Why are we doing this? How do our own experiences drive us to support young people and how are they present for us today?
-- How do we ‘find the medicine in the wound,’ or better understand our own pain so that we can be most useful to others?
-- How are victim / saviour / perpetrator narratives affecting us in our work?
Participants can expect to:
-- Learn tools and techniques from Ritual Theatre & Rainbow of Desires to apply in work with young people
-- Meet other people with similar experiences and establish relationships for ongoing learning & support
-- Begin a conversation with yourself and become more aware of your conscious and unconscious needs
This workshop is suited to: youth workers, community organisers, support workers, teachers, social workers, therapists.
Please email Fausto Llopis at
benkaruan@hotmail.com if you have any questions. If you or someone you know can't pay but would like to be considered for a free place, please contact Fausto!
* If you are interested to work with Hector but are not available, or not sure that this workshop applies to you, please see this alternative:
https://forms.gle/E9aKirRVtVKQWCvZ8