The Queer Psychodrama Workshop Has Been Completed
02/12/2024 | 17 Mayıs
Organized by 17 May Association and SPoD, the Queer Psychodrama Workshop offered a space for self-discovery, emotional awareness, and solidarity.
Organised by 17 May Association in cooperation with SPoD on 23 November and 30 November, Queer Psychodrama Workshop offered a space for participants to get to know themselves and experience emotional solidarity.
In the two-session workshop, 12 participants explored their emotions, social roles and relationships with the body in depth using psychodramatic methods. The workshop aimed to increase participants’ emotional awareness and enable them to make healthier choices.
The workshop was held within the scope of the project “Strengthening Trans Organizing Resiliency & Capacity to Advocate for Legal Gender Recognition in the Conflict Affected Larger South Caucasus Region” implemented by Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO, which is funded by UK International Development from the UK government.
First Day of the Workshop: Understanding Yourself and Your Emotions
The first day of the workshop started with the participants sharing their feelings about the space and the Emotion Atom Workshop. In this session, participants had the opportunity to express a wide range of emotions such as anxiety, anger, peace and compassion. With the sculpture work, these emotions were physically visualised and the participants had the chance to look at their own feelings from the outside. Participants discussed the defence mechanisms they use to cope with anxious situations and learned different methods from each other.
Second Day of the Workshop: On Body and Social Roles
In the first session of the second day, the participants developed their emotional awareness by discussing their relationships with their bodies. Within the scope of the ‘Bodily Roles’ workshop, they explored their relationships with their own bodies through actions such as walking, doing yoga, sleeping, and sex.
In the Social Roles workshop held later in the day, participants evaluated their social roles such as ‘activist’, ‘parent’ and ‘friend’. They also had the chance to express their emotional burdens from the past by confronting their lover, sibling, and parent figures through the ‘Empty Chair Work’. Throughout the workshop, the participants stated that they felt that they were not alone and that solidarity gave them strength.
Evaluation of the Workshop
The Queer Psychodrama Workshop offered participants a space for self-knowledge and solidarity. Addressing challenging emotions and transforming them with positive experiences such as compassion and solidarity was one of the most powerful aspects of the workshop. At the end of the workshop, participants stated that they gained awareness at both individual and group levels.
Disclaimer:
This activity was carried out by the 17 May Association in collaboration with SPoD within the frameworks of the project “Strengthening Trans Organizing Resiliency & Capacity to Advocate for Legal Gender Recognition in the Conflict Affected Larger South Caucasus Region” implemented by the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO, which is funded by UK International Development from the UK government.
The 17 May Association and SPoD are solely responsible for the content. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies and Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO's views.
