The Latest FireMaker Workshops in Cape Town

Friday, 14 August 2009 15:17

In July 2009 a FireMaker Workshop was run for a diverse group of Philippi Trust OVC facilitators with a range of experience. One of the highlights of this training was to see the principles of  FireMaker come alive and watching the method work its magic on such a large and diverse group.

The experience of the workshop, to build safety and group cohesion, was an experience that the participants could take with them and implement in their groups. With an atmosphere of non -judgement and space to explore with the arts, participants felt free to express themselves.  Participants experienced great joy at creating art from junk and many experienced the therapeutic value of this way of experiencing and expressing themselves.  The highlight for the participants was that the workshop was so practical, creative and they experienced the joy of learning in a very experiential way.  On day four when we got more practical with the experiences of the first three days, every participant worked out a way to implement a FireMaker technique into their children´s clubs.  The level of sharing and programs put together for their groups indicated that the FireMaker workshops had influenced the way they looked at children, groups, the arts and the value of creating safe spaces for children to tell their stories.

Kay Lorentz, FireMaker Facilitator