By Kasey Varga October 14, 2014
Don't miss the the North American Drama Therapy Association's (NADTA) 35th Annual Conference: In Harmony with the Elements, Drama Therapy and Wellness. October 30 - November 2, 2014 at Yosemite National Park.
"How does drama therapy foster balance? What are the elements of healing at work within our practice? How does one play, engage, perform and negotiate the paradoxes? How do we as drama therapists engage with differing cultures and contrasting identities? How do we respond to imbalanced social roles and power dynamics?"
The conference includes workshops and presentations from a great number of our faculty and alumni, including our program Chair, Shoshana Simons and core faculty members Denise Boston and Danielle Burnette. CIIS's Theatre for Change will also be presenting their 7th and most recent production. See the listings below for details:
Waking Dream Theatre: Exploring a Collective Dream World Through Drama
Armand Volkas, MFA, RDT/BCT, MFT
Naya Chang, MFA
Roni Alperin, MA
In Waking Dream Theatre, you will refine improvisational forms and co-create collective dream worlds where personal story, current life challenges, music and creative expression intermingle. At once, meaningful practice and performance art, waking dreams spark deep insight while remaining poetic and playful. Balance, generosity, mindfulness and collaboration are its values.
The Laundry of Life: A Collaborative Narrative Expressive Arts Practice
Shoshana Simons, PhD, RDT
Danielle Burnette, MA
Participants engage in a series of individual and collaborative arts processes culminating in the creation of a visual, poetic and performative "wisdom washing line". Through these activities we bring forth and then embody the individual and collective wisdom that has helped us to endure and embrace life's stains and challenges.
Drama Therapists As Co-Creators for Sustainable Communities
Craig Chalquist, PhD
Nadya Trytan, MA, RDT/BCT
Denise Boston, PhD, RDT
This panel will include drama therapists from different parts of the country who will discuss their engagement with communities to build balance, health and resiliency. We will address different kinds of community change movements that are occurring, and the impact on urban neighborhoods.
Shakespeare for Social Justice: Shakespeare, Life Stories and Film with Inmates and Youth
Suraya Keating, RDT, MFT
How can Shakespeare, original theater and film help promote positive choices among at-risk youth and the incarcerated? This workshop highlights key components of Marin Shakespeare's Shakespeare for Social Justice Program, which provides opportunities for inmates and youth to perform Shakespeare, and use Shakespeare as a doorway into performing life stories.
