TakeAway Theatre was recently contracted by Sanlam to provide unique multimedia for both their Senior Management and Future Leaders Conferences held in Cape Town. What made the job such an enjoyable one was the client’s deep acceptance of the experimental nature of the work.
During registration, a pair of actors posed as delegates, complete with identifying lanyards and a (very loose!) backstory of how they fitted into the business. Naturally, there was a fair amount of preparation involved, and the performers were very carefully chosen for their profiles, their warmth and appeal, as well as their ability to improvise.
They were equipped with a video camera, with which they filmed their ‘colleagues’ - posing questions about the conference and what the expectations were… basically, how did people feel about being here, and what did they want to get out of it? After registration, the footage was edited in one of the hotel rooms for broadcast later in the day… An exhausting and meticulous process, after viewing the footage and organising it into themes and a storyline. {For confidentiality reasons, we unfortunately can’t show the films here. You’ll just have to take our word for it that they were funny, insightful and very nicely put together. VERY nicely put together!}
The performers told delegates, if asked, that the camera was there because they simply wanted to make a film about the conference for their partner, who had gotten a little peeved at all the travelling they were doing and was on the verge of asking if there was another woman or man on the scene…
What we found was that pretty much everyone responds to a warm smile and a welcoming approach. People are interested in each other – we were reminded that trust and openness come naturally to some people – certainly, to those who need to lead. There was much laughter at the screenings – and our brief – to shift people’s ideas, helping to make them feel that this would be a conference with a difference – enabled us to have some fun with what we did. Thanks to Sanlam for the opportunity, and for all the room service!
Embodying Change with BoE Private Clients
We recently created a series of workshops for BoE Private Clients, where improvisation and other theatre technologies were exploited in order to create new ways for people to engage and connect, and discover some fresh perspective on their change process.
Working with our associates nationwide, we designed a session that would be rolled out in different centres – consistently, and keeping travel costs to a minimum. So, after a very “head-orientated” morning, with delegates discussing vision, strategy, values and other tasty things, we instructed invited them to take off their shoes and get comfortable…
In an overwhelmingly results-based working environment, it presented a real challenge for most people to ‘let go’, moving into a space of little or no control. Resistance – fear, nervousness, anxiety – became very apparent – as some people felt that they ‘couldn’t be creative’ and that they would be ‘wrong’ somehow… Then we started moving, and within minutes everyone was laughing, and it was all downhill from there… Finally, pretty much everyone was grinning from ear to ear and extremely grateful to do something human, dynamic, creative and spontaneous, where delegates were able to reflect on their feelings, and create possibilities for change.
One of the things that came home to me powerfully in the sessions was the value of resistance – as something to be respected and worked with. Without it, there is no journey.