Conscious Guardianship (in an age of unconscious realms)

This 3 hour arts based inquiry/workshop uses embodied movement to consider the theme of personal guardianship.

Guided by creative arts therapist, Emma Faylecaun this multimodal inquiry brings a focus on improvised movement as primary modality to inquire and feel into the questions;

What does conscious guardianship look/feel like

In what ways do I hold, protect or safeguard myself and others against uninvited/unwelcome influences or energies that seek to penetrate, take, use or harm?

How might I invite a sense of consciousness and purposeful guardianship into my life/work?

In this context a guardianship practice focuses on our emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical capacities to be with other bodies and their associated energies. Using felt sense we draw attention to where we are in the moment, recognise our needs and desires, and how much room we have to move within them. From this place we can assess how much of us might be available for others? How much can I give/take and how do I want to be with these ever-shifting states of capacity.

Acknowledging that we are living systems, forever in flux alongside other living systems, all with differing needs and wants.

As fluid, flesh and porous entities we will consider being “open”, as the possible body and being “closed”, as the boundaried body.

While the offerings are made with a sense of playful curiosity, you are invited to attend to the processes with an awareness and sensitivity of your own condition.

Expect invitations to:

Engage Imagination and use creative visualisation to feel into invisible and unknown realms

Be still and engage in short, embodied meditation

Move your body; within your own limitations and capacity. We will be using movement as our primary modality, inquiring into our understanding of Guardianship, using our physical form.

Listen - to invitation, to your own bodies explicit and subtle messaging, and to other bodies in the space during partnered and group exercises.

Record and document what we are noticing, you might bring a personal journal

Respond Multimodally, we will spend some time expressing our movement inquiry using other creative modes including mark-making and creative writing.

Reflect and share, there will be time to be with and consider what we are noticing together. We will discuss our process and speak to our experience.

Work Communally, while we begin our inquiry solo we will move into partnered, small and whole group exercises

Learning outcomes might expand our improvised movement vocabulary and bring an increased awareness of embodied sensing and awareness of mental/physical capacities

About the facilitator

Emma Fayelecaun is an artist, an arts-based researcher and a creative arts therapist. She has a private practice offering 1:1 creative inquiry, she facilitates groups regularly and is a sessional academic with The MIECAT institute. Her personal practice merges modalities including creative writing, visual arts, including lens based media and improvised movement and dance.

Emma is particularly interested in relationality - the elements that work to form, deepen, maintain and potentially rupture relationships between bodies (both human and other).

Professional Considerations

Please note that while this workshop values experiential learning and lived experience, it functions as professional development rather than therapy. MIECAT and the facilitator will not be providing therapeutic support to participants during the session. Please check in with your own capacity and supports while engaging in this workshop and consider their level of engagement.

Accessibility
This workshop is located in Studio 1, upstairs. Upstairs is accessed via 2 flights of stairs (14 stairs, each flight has 7 stairs).
There are ammenities located on both ground level and level 1. Ground floor has a wheelchair accessible toilet.