AANZPA Conference 2027

Acknowledgement: The AANZPA 2027 conference will be held on Gadigal Lands. We pay our respects to Elders, past present and emerging and honour their custodianship and sovereignty.

Psychodrama: A Methodology of Freedom

Jacob Levi Moreno envisioned psychodrama as a methodology of freedom in that it emphasises the liberation of ourselves from our pasts, from old expectations and current limitations. In mobilising the five instruments (stage, protagonist, director, auxiliaries and audience) and the four universals (time, place, reality and cosmos), a psychodramatic enactment produces a surplus reality, a truthful illusion in all its light and darkness that is accepted as if it is real. The psychodrama stage thus becomes a place where an individual can be who they are more deeply and explicitly than they appear to be in everyday life. Psychodrama is liberation then in the sense that bringing out our deeper inner truth creates in us the living possibility of creating our own freedom.

“The living space of reality is often narrow and restraining, … [a person] may easily lose … equilibrium. On the stage … [the person] may find it again due to its methodology of freedom – freedom from unbearable stress and freedom for experience and expression. The stage space is an extension of life beyond the reality tests of life itself. Reality and fantasy are not in conflict. … The aim ... is not to turn the … [people] into actors, but rather to stir them up to be on the stage what they are, more deeply and explicitly than they appear to be in life reality.”      

                      J.L. Moreno (Psychodrama First Volume: Fourth Edition, 1972:a-c)

“… this unfoldment of life in the domain of illusion does not work like a renewal of suffering, rather it confirms the rule: every true second time is the liberation from the first. … One gains towards … [one's] own life, towards all one has done and does, the point of view of the creator - the experience of the true freedom, the freedom from … [one's] own nature.”

                                     J.L. Moreno (The Theatre of Spontaneity, 2010 Edition:101)

Conference Program

Early bird tickets close 30 November 2026

We are accepting workshop proposals now - head to the website to submit yours.

A vibrant program awaits you in Sydney.

Embrace our beautiful warm summer with the usual weaving of deep inner work, practical learning, dancing, singing, comedy, food, coffee and so much more!

Friday night entertainment - feel your heart beat with the drum as Tom the Pom takes us through a drumming workshop and then brace yourself for a segment of "The Mic is in YOUR Hands"

Saturday's Dinner Dance promises to be as vibrant as always. We will rock to the tunes of Swamp Daisies enjoy great food, laughter, dance moves and I'm sure for the usual bandits there'll be after-parties snuck into someone's dorm room.

Of course we'll have our AGM on the Saturday, informal jams in the evenings, places to chill and relax, and all the usual AANZPA conference fun.

Your conference ticket includes all meals for the main conference days - details around meals for pre-/post- workshops are listed below and when you register.

More information about the full program and the pre and post workshops are available on the AANZPA website so please keep an eye out for that and our wonderful convenor will notify you as things are updated.

Pre-conference workshop A - read full workshop details via this link.

Presenter - Charmaine McVea

Topic - Freedom, Response-ability and Commitment: A Focus on Progressive Functioning

Details:

• 2 days -

• Tuesday 12 Jan 9am to 5pm (morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided)

• Wed 13 Jan 9am to 4pm (morning tea and lunch provided)

• Please make your own arrangements for other meals

Capacity - 16 participants

Summary - Spontaneity flourishes when we engage in the here and now, when we are relational, and when our thoughts, feelings and actions are congruent. We become free within ourselves to respond meaningfully, adequate to the moment. This is the framing of ‘freedom’ that is a starting position for this workshop: the freedom to be myself in relationship with the world I live in. Being myself calls for self-awareness and selfacceptance. Being in relationship (response-ability in the title) calls for role reversal, cultural awareness, the development of adequate roles and a readiness to act. A third element – commitment – is also important. Commitment relates to sustaining a sense of purpose, a warm-up to seeing things through, and navigating rupture and repair.

Fee - $485 (you'll be able to book when you click Register on the right side of the screen)

Pre-conference workshop B - read full workshop details via this link.

Presenters - Marian Hammond and Cinnamon Boreham

Topic - Freedom from the Burden of Shame

Details:

• 2 days

• Tuesday 12 Jan 9am to 5pm (morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided)

• Wed 13 Jan 9am to 4pm (morning tea and lunch provided)

• Please make your own arrangements for other meals

Capacity - 14 participants

Summary - Shame is a potent emotion that can hijack our minds and bodies, tying us up in knots. It impels us to hide. Its many masquerades make it difficult to recognise its presence. Unhealthy, or toxic, shame is burdensome because it tells us we are unworthy, inadequate and flawed. It cuts us off from our feelings, so that we are unable to move through grief. It can make us feel like we are going through life with the handbrake on. This workshop aims to help participants release the grip of toxic shame, while appreciating the value of healthy shame. Healthy shame reminds us that, as humans, we all have limits. An internal barometer, it alerts us to when to pull back, thus ensuring we remain connected to the group. Learning from our mistakes is a key aspect of healthy shame.

Fee - $520 (you'll be able to book when you click Register on the right side of the screen)

Post-conference workshop A - read full workshop details via this link.

Presenters - Cushla Clark and Sue Christie

Topic - The Relationship of Warm-up to Freedom: Four Stages of Warm-Up a Person Passes Through in Becoming the Creator in their Own Life

Details -

• 2 days

• Monday 18 January 9am to 5pm

• Tuesday 19 January 9am to 5pm

Capacity - 14 participants

Summary - Moreno wrote that learning happens more effectively in a heated state and in relationship with others. In this experiential workshop, we will examine how the embedded structure of the psychodrama method enhances our ability to warm up, step by step, to ourselves, others, the cosmos and our abilities to develop new roles, new perspectives and, ultimately, the freedom (from our own nature) to accept the God within and be the creators in our own lives.

Fee: $485 (you'll be able to book when you click Register on the right side of the screen)

Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are provided on both days. Please make your own arrangements for other meals.

Post-conference workshop B - read full workshop details via this link.

Presenter - Jenny Hutt

Topic - Conversations about Difference

Details

• 1 day

• Monday 18 January, 9am to 5pm

Capacity - 16 participants

Summary - When we truly meet one another in conversation, our perceptions shift and our relationships can be strengthened. This is particularly so when we are willing to stay in relationship as we surface and discuss our differences: our views about life, the world, the past, the future, and how we relate to each other. Moreno saw these meetings, these conversations, as vital in forming natural groups and a society of human beings. He observed, ‘It is people who meet one another who are responsible and genuine founders of social living.’

Fee - $245 (you'll be able to book when you click Register on the right side of the screen)

Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are provided. Please make your own arrangements for other meals.

Some basics to get you going - more info on the below via our AANZPA 2027 Conference website.

Sleep tight (Accommodation options)

I want to stay at St Andrews College - book directly with the venue via this link

For any issues or queries about accommodation please contact the college directly: eventsmanager@standrewscollege.edu.au

I prefer to stay at nearby hotels - below are some options we found that are walking distance or on frequent bus routes - of course you're welcome to do your own research for other possibilies, look for locations in Camperdown, Newtown or Glebe

• Rydges Camperdown Hotel (670m from St Andrews)  

• The Urban Newtown

• Best Western Plus Camperdown Suites

• Mercure Sydney (CBD, close to Central Station)

• Haven Glebe

• YHA Sydney Central

Food / meals (outisde of conference main days)

Your conference ticket includes all meals for main conference days and meals as listed above for the pre-/post- conference workshops. In case you wanted to go out for food, outside of the conference main days and where meals are not included for the workshops (dinner), we've put together a list of suggestions for you.

It's not quite Melbourne, but we're in the best part of Sydney for decent enough food - check out these places which are within walking distance and considered a must-go-to in Newtown (of course there are many more options around them and you can take your pick):

• The Italian Bowl

• Thai Potong

• Check out these other recommendations by Broadsheet | Australian Good Food Guide | Timeout

• Gelato options for those wanting to cool down their insides with sweet pleasures
  

Accessibility

Hearing - we have worked hard to make sure audio and sound is maximised in every room and we hope this will make the experience more accessible to more people

Stairs - we've done our best in this regard, but there will be some stairs to navigate, the longest staircase is the one that goes up to the dining hall, so if you absolutely cannot take this avenue, please do let us know and we'll find a way to support you.

Plan your stay

Sydney is the largest (and possibly most vibrant/touristy) city within 1000s of kms of anywhere around the Asia Pacific / ok it's definitely the hit city in this region - so don't rush your trip and make sure you check out some of these sites / experiences our team recommends:

• the world's largest eggshells and clothes hanger (opera house and harbour bridge) (short walk and bus - details here) - if you're lucky you might meet Benny the Seal who often hangs out there

• the rocks (near the Bridge and Eggshells)

• local beaches we recommend -

  • Bondi (of course!) - you can do the Bondi to Coogee walk (about 6km) and go to all 6 or so beaches in between

  • Camp Cove (a peaceful, sheltered bay in Watsons Bay)

  • Redleaf Beach (Murray Rose Pool) - Features a safe, enclosed net swimming area and a wrap-around-pontoon

• the Blue Mountains - you'll need to Google tours or charm one of us locals to take you up there

• North Gorge walk - map details here

A friendly suggestion if you're flying here: booking flights in advance tends to attract cheaper fees so if you're thinking to attend, keep an eye on flights and grab a low fare as soon as you can - you can work out the rest later and we're always here to support you.