Participants will choose a symbol of listening and describe what it means to them from a wide choice of images supplied by Clare as an introduction. The group will listen to a story about listening, peace or conflict told by Clare. They will learn how to tell a story through the scenes or images of the story. They will then receive stories that they will learn to tell in groups of three or four. Participants will reflect on the resonance of the stories to experiences in their own lives and share stories from their own lives as well as practice telling these stories in small and large groups. We will undertake a series of listening exercises in the group and in pairs. Clare will share a little about the theory and practice of listening as it relates to conflict, peace and empathy. The group will choose, or draw or create another image to represent a quality they seek to enhance in their own lives to support their listening to finish the session.

Highlights:

This workshop balances opportunities for storytelling with listening. We will focus on the difference between the kind of highly engaged listening that we experience during storytelling, and the listening that we frequently experience in our daily lives. The traditional stories participants will share are based on the themes of listening, conflict and peace. They will provide opportunities to explore these qualities in the participants’ own lives. Clare will also offer insights from theoretical and research perspectives on the power of listening.

Learning:

Participants will acquire deeper listening capacities and storytelling skills, learning or experiencing at least three different traditional stories. They will hone their reflective skills through sharing of personal stories about listening, conflict and peace. Participants will gain a greater understanding of listening and the conflict theory.