Allies: People to people
Theater performance workshop
In progress - please check back
I am partnering with Allies: People to People to create a performance and workshop examining environmental justice, environmental degradation and potential for sustainable cooperation with the Earth. Allies: People to People (Allies) is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching and practicing co-counseling techniques through classes, workshops, and gatherings in the greater Portland, Oregon area. Allies started more than twenty years ago by a fabulous leader, Charlie Kreiner, who had a passion for the work and especially for leading men's liberation workshops. After Charlie passed, Allies evolved toward a collaborative leadership model. Our Allies: People to People Mission is: Supporting individuals through self growth and leadership to eliminate all forms of oppression in our lives and to encourage social change in our neighborhoods and the global community.
Co-counseling is a theory and practice for healing through emotional expression of past hurts with the engaged listening and support of peers, and the continued reconnection to our inherent human nature as completely, unconditionally, uniquely, universally, permanently, limitlessly good and brilliant creatures. Allies believes that all people are born with a full set of beautiful qualities, including intelligence, ability to love and be loved, creativity, humor, courage, resilience, among countless others. In addition to classes on the fundamentals of co-counseling, Allies fosters leadership of its members through a mentor program which includes co-leading classes and workshops.
I completed the Allies mentoring program by teaching several counseling fundamentals classes and presenting at our annual four-day workshop several years. I have organized the annual workshop and served two years on the advising board of Allies, called the Core Group. I have gained leadership skills, confidence, and learned to value my contributions through this volunteer work.
My Capstone project is an entirely new endeavor for Allies. I am working to create a multimedia performance that highlights the harm humans inflict on the planet through oppressive and unsustainable environmental practices that disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities and especially communities of color, and then explores visions for sustainable connection to the planet. After the performance, we will focus on the values of engaged listening and expressing vulnerability with each other, followed by a discussion about the performance and listening exchange. I have experienced performance as a powerful tool for impact and inspiration and seek to inspire people to be increasingly connected with the gorgeous Earth we live on and within. I have found and witnessed active compassionate listening to be immensely healing and I hope that sharing tools and skills of listening practices will generate healing and connection in wider communities.
Leading up to this event I’m designing for Spring of 2017, I am co-creating and co-leading an Allies community support group titled, “Coming Back to Earth: A Feelings and Discussion Group for Humans.” We will meet as a small group once per month for eight months, focusing on our feelings and thoughts about the degradation of the planet and our role as humans in affecting those processes. We will be exploring through the lens of co-counseling theory and techniques that focus on our inherent human goodness and capability to heal from past pain and hurt. Our goal will be to repair from hopelessness and isolation that block a healthy connection to our planet. Group discussions and reading materials will fuel our process.
My Fall Term Capstone class is ending, but I have much to do to complete my project:
Co-counseling is a theory and practice for healing through emotional expression of past hurts with the engaged listening and support of peers, and the continued reconnection to our inherent human nature as completely, unconditionally, uniquely, universally, permanently, limitlessly good and brilliant creatures. Allies believes that all people are born with a full set of beautiful qualities, including intelligence, ability to love and be loved, creativity, humor, courage, resilience, among countless others. In addition to classes on the fundamentals of co-counseling, Allies fosters leadership of its members through a mentor program which includes co-leading classes and workshops.
I completed the Allies mentoring program by teaching several counseling fundamentals classes and presenting at our annual four-day workshop several years. I have organized the annual workshop and served two years on the advising board of Allies, called the Core Group. I have gained leadership skills, confidence, and learned to value my contributions through this volunteer work.
My Capstone project is an entirely new endeavor for Allies. I am working to create a multimedia performance that highlights the harm humans inflict on the planet through oppressive and unsustainable environmental practices that disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities and especially communities of color, and then explores visions for sustainable connection to the planet. After the performance, we will focus on the values of engaged listening and expressing vulnerability with each other, followed by a discussion about the performance and listening exchange. I have experienced performance as a powerful tool for impact and inspiration and seek to inspire people to be increasingly connected with the gorgeous Earth we live on and within. I have found and witnessed active compassionate listening to be immensely healing and I hope that sharing tools and skills of listening practices will generate healing and connection in wider communities.
Leading up to this event I’m designing for Spring of 2017, I am co-creating and co-leading an Allies community support group titled, “Coming Back to Earth: A Feelings and Discussion Group for Humans.” We will meet as a small group once per month for eight months, focusing on our feelings and thoughts about the degradation of the planet and our role as humans in affecting those processes. We will be exploring through the lens of co-counseling theory and techniques that focus on our inherent human goodness and capability to heal from past pain and hurt. Our goal will be to repair from hopelessness and isolation that block a healthy connection to our planet. Group discussions and reading materials will fuel our process.
My Fall Term Capstone class is ending, but I have much to do to complete my project:
- writing and visioning - I've established a writing practice and having been focusing on my thoughts and ideas around this project
- interviewing theater writers and producers and dancers - I have connected with several artists
- find the right space to accomodate the combination of theater and workshop that I'm designing - I've gotten several suggestions, and will contact them early next year.
- casting, rehearsals - This one feels super challenging. Some of the artists I'm connecting with are interested in being involved. I think I just need to trust that this will unfold as it needs to, and will figure out the steps as I get closer.
- set the date - I'm thinking right around mid/late-April, 2017
- publicise - Another highly challenging step. I have been terrified to put myself out there, so I will seek a lot of support from my communities for this.
This video is my first attempt putting my performance art out using technology. It includes about 40 seconds of figuring out the camera, that I have not figured out how to cut yet. The poem I perform is a personal vision for the person I am intentionally becoming, titled: "I Will Be"