Katalin Lábán’s approach
The group number is 12, recommended once a week. It can be adapted from the age of 6 until the age of 99. In the Joy project we adapt for the young adults (NEETs).
The facilitator is non-judgmental, non-directive, person-centered, open to the participants needs and has an empathic understanding attitude.
The session begins with a vow that we keep secret, nothing can be told to anyone. Everybody who takes part in the workshop has to trust the facilitator and the participants have to trust each other. This is one of the most important factors.
Every session starts with eating biscuits, some chocolate, some cakes sweet or salty or both, some fruit (grapes apples carrots according to the season) and drinking tea.
Then comes the sitting around circle:
We all share our feelings, what we feel at the moment. It is not compulsory to talk but usually at the end of the session when we also have a sitting around circle even those who haven’t said anything start to talk.
Then comes the mindfulness part:
Everybody closes his/her eyes and concentrates on breathing, later on the body parts and later on the imaginative situations.
Then comes the work in pairs:
Mostly working on the basic emotions: joy, sorrow, anger, fear, shame, disgust, surprise but further emotions can also play an important part in the process. The participants share their emotions with each other tell their stories in connection with the situation they were in. After with the help of the facilitator they find a place where the situation can take place then they decide who plays who. Usually the advice of the facilitator is that they shall change roles.
We call it the “Who, what and where?” exercise. These questions can help the participants during the activity:
- Who are you?
- What is your relationship with the other person?
- What are you doing?
- Where are you? (in a room or in the street etc, the place should be really concrete)
After each scene we discuss with the audience their feelings. While watching the scene we never or rarely talk about the theatrical value of the scene. We always talk about our emotions what we felt while watching. Then the two players also tell us what they felt while playing, they share their thoughts and feelings.
The scenes are usually 2 – 5 minutes long. Sometimes they decide not to work in pairs but perform alone, sometimes they need one or two more participants in the scene, it is also possible of course.
There are no strict rules except for being non-judgemental. Also no advice should be given to each other. Flexibility is very important on the part of the facilitator.
The session is also closing with a sitting around circle telling each other the experience they had.
In due course vocal exercises, singing , dancing, writing poems, especially haikus with 17 syllables are also included.
