In the autumn of 2022, sociodrama training started in Hungary. The training is the result of five years of international cooperation and methodological development. Its creation was prompted by the realization that the methodology of Morenian Drama is suitable for the development of social awareness and the rediscovery of the power of community action in contrast to the general feeling of vulnerability and helplessness.  

The training integrated the sociodrama knowledge already sporadically present in the Hungarian Psychodrama Association and the knowledge from the ‘Performers’ international project, aimed at the systematic methodological development of the field. Thanks to international knowledge sharing, the Hungarian training incorporated the experiences of the English-Australian, Portuguese-Brazilian, Swedish, Norwegian, Greek, Serbian and Romanian sociodrama experts and schools. 

Conference participants are invited to a symposium and presentation. Come and share your training experiences and learn together about how to develop sociodrama training and how to become active in promoting the local and institutional implementation of the method. 

The discussion includes some of the graduates presentation from the first training.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-andrea-kocsi-agnes-blasko-krisztina-galgoczi-moni-durst-gyula-goda/

After years of dedicated work in the PERFORMERS group a small determined group of individuals launched the first educational programme in the field of sociodrama in Budapest. These individuals are our trainers, and we are their first trainees, having earned the title of “Assistant Sociodrama Group Leader” in Hungary

Thanks to our training and the guidance of our trainers, we have been able to establish numerous new groups, applying the sociodrama method in various aspects of our original professions. We have experimented with the method and endeavored to address the traumas and wounds within our society.

We would like to present the multiple areas where we facilitated group work, and offer to our audience to select the topics that interest them the most. We will then zoom in and delve deeper into these areas through sociodramatic enactment.

We firmly believe that sharing our work can serve as a source of inspiration not only for those who work with sociodrama but also for those who teach and train in this methodology.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-sociodrama-training-groups-in-hungary/

The SCOPE Working Group emerged from the PERFORMERS international sociodrama project.

Since 2021, the working group has been collaborating with institutions focusing on youth, utilizing sociodrama and child sociodrama methods.
We work with schools, children care homes, correctional facilities, family shelters, and educational support centers. Our aim is to support these institutions towards more democratic operation, ensuring safety for both the professionals and the children they serve, while cultivating a nurturing, supportive environment. To accomplish this, we work with groups of children considering the institutional settings in which they reside, and seeking partnerships with facility administrators, leaders, and professionals.

Our presentation provides a concise overview of our journey thus far, highlighting the challenges encountered, the solutions devised, and the outcomes attained.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-scope-members-2/ 

Increasingly hot summers, snowless winters, water restrictions – the signs of the climate crisis are becoming more and more apparent in our daily lives. How can sociodrama help to promote a more environmentally conscious attitude, so that we realise that we need to change our lifestyles for the sake of our future?

The discussion will be attended by foreign sociodramatists, such as Marjut Partanen-Hertell from Finland, Enikő Fazakas from Romania or Hungarian experts, such as Attila Donáth, who have worked on ecological issues in sociodramatic workshops.

The aim of the roundtable is to give experts the opportunity to share their experiences and present their work.

Main themes might include:

• How can we address these issues without creating fear, anxiety, or reinforcing images of disaster?
• Sociodrama can also serve as a way for a community to collectively figure out what they can do for their immediate environment. How can sociodrama contribute to developing community solutions in this area?
• To make the necessary changes, it is not enough to change individual lifestyles, but economic, political and social changes are needed. How can we work sociodramatically with this?

The audience will learn about different possibilities and “best practices” on how sociodrama can serve to shape ecological attitudes and conscious behaviour – at the individual, small community, or societal level.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-katalin-hegyes/

In this presentation ecological scientific facts are combined to a creative process with sociodramatic and other action exercises. After this session participants will be able to:

• explore and illustrate scientific facts with some action exercises and make science alive trough sociodrama
• understand the present ecological situation in the Anthropocene and see their own place in that
• describe what Ecological Justice means and identify their own role connected to that
• define part of the different views and stakeholders emerging on the field of ecological justice
• strengthen their abilities to take responsibility to support the world as we know it now.
  
  READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-marjut-partanen-hertell/

Sociodrama is a natural, powerful and playful method for helping children develop problem solving skills and try out new behaviors and roles. It helps children learn how to self-regulate and develop impulse control as well as to safely and appropriately express strong feelings. Sociodrama can be used to address social issues that arise in the classroom and on the playground such as stealing, fighting, bullying and intolerance. Sociodrama can be used to address issues that come up in counseling and therapy groups such as dealing with abusive siblings, displacement, the absence of parents due to death, divorce and incarceration of parents. The use of sociodramatic stories provides the necessary distance for younger children to address difficult feelings and issues. In this highly interactive workshop participants will patriciate in sociodramatic structures that work well with children ages 6-12 including the Empty Chair(s), Fairytales, Sociodramatic Heroes and Role Training for New Behavior.

Participants will be able to

• distinguish between sociodrama and psychodrama and when to use which
• describe at least two sociodramatic structure that work with children’s groups

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-rebecca-walters/

What are the values of democracy? Respect for individuals and their right to make their own choices. Tolerance of differences and opposing ideas. Equity – valuing all people and supporting them to reach their full potential. Each person has the freedom of speech, association, movement, and freedom of belief. Are we connected to democracy in our cities, in our countries? Social traumas reflect on the values of democracy. In this sociodrama workshop, we will explore the values of Morenian sociodrama and the values of ancient Greek democracy in relation to our connection with democracy and how we can improve our world by providing a chance for a more creative global voice for freedom and social equity, in order to have a collective future.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-stylianos-lagarakis/

In the aftermath of the fallen communist regimes at the end of the XX century, these societies are far from reaching a homeostasis.The history of conflicts and lost beliefs has not only created collective trauma and polarization, but these societies have been continuously re-traumatized by the communicated „post-truths“ (Oxford Languages, 2016) and „gaslighting“ (Merriam-Webster, 2022).

The hypothesis is that when individuals fall victim to the societal post-truths and gaslighting, they are inclined to form certain sub-groups with similar mental, emotional and somatic experiencing, corresponding to the fight-flight-or-freeze states:
1) nationalists (angry, agitated, ready to “protect” the nation and fight with the perceived enemy),
2) the nostalgic (fleeing to idealisation of the past, grieving for the communist „paradise lost“), or the numb (those that freeze, shut down or even die, unable to cope with the changed circumstances).
The workshop will include a sociometrical exercise with three groups, a sociodramatic exploration by making use of role reversal and deepening double techniques, with deroling and a sociatric intervention as closure.

After this 90-min workshop, the participants will be able to:
1) explore ways of collective re-traumatisation in dismantled societies and how individuals respond to it,
2) identify how different social sub-groups are formed, depending on the individual autonomous nervous system response,
3) consider some viable social healing techniques.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-mirjana-stankovic-bojana-glusac-draslar-daniela-simmons/

After identifying some common collective transgenerational traumas in the group, we will choose one collective pattern to better understand any collective wound and the transgenerational events that have contributed to it. We will also identify, express and reinforce some collective positive resources After some enactments with sociodrama techniques of the problematic situation, together with the positive resources, we will evolve to surplus reality to find and experience different endings for the unfinished business, and we will try to reflect and co-create different solutions for this common collective trauma.

After this session, the participants will be able to identify the main concepts and the main sociodrama and sociometry techniques used and will be able to apply some of them.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-manuela-maciel/

The main objective of sociodrama intervention in no profit or for-profit organizations is to intervene in the professional role and the meaning attributed to it. The hierarchical structure never coincides with the actual organizational chart, so people constantly live in a conflict from which they must protect themselves. The work group interacts, communicates, copes with everyday life, but there is a lack of opportunities for sharing and integration. Through symbolic language and the sociodramatic scene, the protagonists experiment with new ways of relating in order to find new answers to the adversities and conflicts they encounter. Sociodrama acts as a connector between private and collective roles in the pursuit of social and personal well-being in organizations and the development of a positive tele.

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• make more conscious reflections on the roles acted out and the needs to be met within their context of belonging
• read more clearly the group dynamics and conflicts present
  

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-antonio-zanardo/

In the workshop, we will explore the use of the three circles of interaction developed by J.L. Moreno – Sociometry, Sociodrama and Psychodrama. Those three powerful major innovations in the fields of human relations, would be applied in the group experience. The Tele fields of a group and its various agendas, histories and backgrounds create a unique group cultural situation, which is as particular and unique for every group as the individual’s fingerprints. In the workshop we will look at the doing and being of the group, the conscious and unconscious forces through which we may explore the present – what exists now and how the themes of the group are presented by the individual, in the role of the group’s representative – the protagonist.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-oded-nave/

Intersecting spaces: navigating individual and social narratives through critical psychodrama (Presentation)
The critical psychology approach takes social factors and social issues into consideration among the causes of psychological phenomena. During the presentation, we aim to look at the individual themes and group processes appearing in psychodramatic scenes, and also their connection to sociodrama, from a critical psychodrama perspective.

Is it among the tasks of the psychodrama leader to make participants of the psychodrama group think about and reflect on discriminative social systems and power inequalities that affect them? Does the thematization of social embeddedness have relevancy when individual themes and problems arise on the stage of psychodrama, and if so, in which way? What can psychodrama and sociodrama learn from each other? What is the result if both the individual and the social point of view appear in the same psychodramatic space?

In our opinion, these are exciting and timely professional questions. Critical psychodrama examines the processes appearing in the space of psychodrama not only at the level of the individual but embedded in a broader social context, using a systematic approach. Basically, individual problems are not merely manifestations of blockages, role deficits, and self-limiting beliefs in the protagonist’s mind, but instead systems created and maintained by several actors and factors. As a result, it can easily happen that the protagonist’s attempt to put their new kind of emotional knowledge experienced on the psychodramatic stage into practice, quickly collides with social expectations and role pressures, thereby making the long-term integration of the new pattern difficult, or even downright impossible.

What can we do as psychodrama leaders? During the presentation, we are looking for theoretical and methodological answers to the above questions and scenarios. We present the main principles of critical psychodrama and introduce interested parties to the dilemmas that a psychodrama leader working with a critical approach encounters.

Tools of insight: enhancing psychodramatic practice through a critical lens
Following the presentation addressing the foundations and theoretical background of critical psychodrama, the workshop will showcase and explore several practical tools of the approach. The speakers aim to expand the psychodrama toolkit with methods, techniques, and procedures that consider individual experiences and the encompassing social environment in their full complexity, thereby opening up new aspects to the members of a given psychodrama group. Throughout the workshop, we aspire to showcase these methods and techniques to the participants, with particular attention to comparisons with sociodrama.

The focus is on applying techniques within a psychodramatic context, enabling group members to develop new, system-conscious interpretations and coping mechanisms and to gain awareness of the social embeddedness of their social roles and identities. In this short method demonstration, together with the workshop participants, we will explore the possibilities of the brought situations and what the critical approach can offer to deal with them.

The goal of critical psychodrama is, on one hand, to establish realistic expectations among group members regarding the nature and process of change and, on the other hand, to explore how individual recognitions can be durably implemented into practice, for example, through building alliances and exposing the weak points of the hidden social structure shaping our lives.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-critical-psychodrama-methodology-group/

In this workshop, you will see how sociopsychodrama, its theory, methods and philosophy can be used in group work.
You will experience and explore blockages in the social matrix. Through our sociopsychodramatic work we will identify creativity blockages inside social matrix.
Also, we will find ways how to transform these blockages. We will open new pathways for flow inside social matrix.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-jana-damjanov/

In this Symposium we will present the project “Discovering the Languages of Peace ” and the book that resulted from it. This project was funded by ERASMUS + Programm (EU). The methodological path chosen was based on the sociopsychodrama methodology and the participants were professionals that work with marginalized young people in countries from former Yugoslavia region (Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzgovina) and Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway). This project lasted for one year in which we developed twelve online workshops in the form of 3 hour webinars and a 5 day Spring School in presence, at the University of Zadar (Croatia). The aim of the project was to contribute to the transformation of conflicted communities and societies, healing traumas and building long term peace by increasing the competencies of the professionals and practitioners.

Learning objectives:

• to know more about sociopsychodrama and the theoretical framework underpinning it and
• to learn more about the work of professionals working with discriminated and marginalized groups

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-jana-damjanov-monica-westberg-mariolina-werner-margarida-belchior/

Whether we live in wealthy societies or countries suffering from poverty or inhabit modern democracies or 21st-century populist oligarchies, our work with groups always occurs within the magnetic fields of power. Power systems, including governance, politics, policies, institutions, cultural norms, and practices, pervade our groups and permeate our inner reality as group facilitators. We operate within these magnetic fields of power, which generate voltage and charge the group and ourselves.

In this workshop, we will employ sociodrama as a tool for exploring suitable roles in facilitating group work when confronted with various manifestations of power, such as war, climate catastrophes, global exploitation, social injustices, flawed policies, oppressive organisational procedures, autocratic regimes, populism, discrimination, segregation, and more.

How can we evolve beyond the traditional, neutral, all-knowing narrator role and align our group facilitator role with responsible, participative citizens committed to values and actions? How can we foster an open space for diverse viewpoints without losing our consistency yet still be able to form or change our beliefs when adequate in the group process?

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-eva-lorincz-judith-teszary/

During the PERFORMERS international sociodrama project, which took place from 2017 to 2022 under the auspices of the Hungarian Psychodrama Association, a distinct sociodrama methodology was developed in collaboration with institutions dedicated to serving disadvantaged children and youth. Since 2022, we have continually refined and disseminated this approach in various settings, including schools, children’s care homes, correctional facilities, family shelters, and educational support centers. This methodology represents a unified, trauma-informed group approach that integrates elements from sociodrama and child psychodrama, tailored to the specific needs and contexts of each institution.

In 2022, our team transitioned to the Scope Institutional Sociodrama Working Group (known as Hatókör Műhely in Hungarian), evolving into an independent, interdisciplinary collective of Hungarian professionals utilizing sociodrama to positively impact institutions and to create a safe and supportive atmosphere within educational, social care and child care settings. 

During our sessions, participants will gain firsthand experience with our child-sociodrama method, witnessing how we facilitate group dynamics and cultivate an environment conducive to fostering the holistic growth of vulnerable young people.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-scope-members/

In this workshop, we will present the programme developed in the framework of the Erasmus+ project “Interview with the Earth”, which was designed to deepen the connection between nature and humans. In this programme, we have combined methods from the fields of sociodrama, ecopsychology, land art and Playback Theatre to provide an action-oriented and inspiring experience that fosters a deeper connection and awareness of nature among participants.
Workshop participants will be active participants in a process of exploring new aspects of the relationship between nature and humans through a combination of four distinct but interconnected methodological approaches.

The aim of our workshop is to show how combining human sensitivity, creativity and interaction with nature can provide new opportunities for connecting with nature and environmental awareness.
The workshop is practical and participation-oriented.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-attila-donath-eniko-fazakasdenes-maroti-beata-somogyi-attila-turba-andrea-szendrei/

The trauma of war has stirred up in Ukrainians the mechanisms of struggle for life that were not manifested in peaceful conditions. During March-April 2022, two phenomena could be observed in Ukrainian society that clearly reflected the social and cultural nature of the survival mechanism of a nation threatened with extinction:

1. Consolidation. It is the process of the mass emergence of groups based on the criteria of “one turns to another” and “action for resistance”. People are uniting to purchase supplies and equipment for the army, to help the wounded, victims, evacuees, to weave protective nets, etc;
2. The creative explosion of an artistic product. It is seen as a folk heritage passed down by ancestors and awakened by descendants. Nowadays, we hear a lot of folk songs, fairy tales, myths in our everyday life, and our clothes are enriched with forgotten ornaments.
   Contemporary art is also rapidly gaining momentum, leaving a memory of the sensual experience of this struggle.

We believe that these phenomena are universal, and in situations of threat, every nation and ethnic group relies on its deepest culture, narratives and myths.

The power of life and the power of unity lies in having an effective contact with the origins of one’s culture and seeing the strength of other nations and ethnic groups at any time. In the sociodrama, we will explore the origins of the cultures of different nations, looking for points of contact and unity through the language of creativity.

In the workshop art-therapeutic tools will be used. Participants will be able to identify the cultural characteristics of their own ethnic group, see similarities and differences in other groups.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-olena-stupak-olena-kuchynska/

Emotional Intelligence for Leadership Development using Sociodrama.

Learning Objectives:
After the session participants will be able to:
• Become aware of their responses to tense, frustrating situations at the workplace; and explore alternative responses to such situations at an individual level.
• Apply sociodramatic techniques in organizational context— building a humane organisation-for team coaching, leadership development and training.

Methodology:
. Through a warm-up, director listens for themes (universal ideas and issues) that tie the stories together;
• Director helps group choose the action frame
• Group-centered sociodrama is played out
• Closure: Members are helped return to cognitive frame; and discuss opportunity to plan new behaviours (plan/discuss how they will act in a specific future situation)

Theory and basis:
Sociodrama is a social learning activity based in a group setting.
Wiener and Sprague have emphasized sociodrama as a method for learning in addition to) social change.
It helps in:
• an improved understanding of a social (organizational or group) situation
• an increase in participants’ knowledge about their own and other people’s roles in relation to that situation
• an emotional release or catharsis as people express their feelings about the subject”
This approach can be good for developing insight, team building and role training. It allows group members to bond, and provides a safe way to share material.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-rashmi-datt/

Despite the creator of modern psychodrama being very clear about the inseparable conceptual relationship between psychodrama and sociodrama in the 1946 first volume of his Psychodrama, the practice of treating them in isolation is noticeably still dominant almost 80 years later.

What J. L. Moreno wrote in section VIII, dedicated to Sociodrama, leaves no doubt about it. “As soon as the individuals are treated as collective representatives of community roles and role relations and not as to their private roles and role relations, the psychodrama turns into a ‘socio-psychodrama’ or short, sociodrama”.

Unfortunately, even international congresses and conferences tend to handle this phenomenon as if these two poles were independent. This issue should also be discussed.

During this workshop, we will have the opportunity to practice how to move from the private roles of a specific psychodrama – suggested by the participants after an improvised warm-up – to a real sociodrama. What is expected is that, after the concrete experience, participants will be able to (a) understand the basic difference between “private”, individual roles and collective ones; and (b) how to “go through the tunnel” connecting psychodrama and sociodrama, allowing us to be treated as representatives of community roles.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-sergio-guimaraes/

Our nervous systems can be overwhelmed by threats to our physical and psychological safety. How can we transform from victimhood to empowered survivorship? This workshop will explore somatic (bottom-up) and relational (top-down) approaches for resourcing through a combination of mindfulness and nonviolent communication practices. Participants will co-create a sociodrama with these resources, considering how they may be experienced within interactions of the drama triangle roles: victim/survivor, rescuer, and persecutor.

Learning Objectives
By participating in this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify two resources for creating physical and psychological safety.
• Experience each role in the drama triangle.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-courtney-meadows-regina-sewell/

As therapists and group leaders, we usually amplify the advantages of being a part of a group. That is because we know the profound processes that groups allow an individual and a community to go through. A group is considered a master tool for achieving a desired change.

But what happens between different groups? Europe and the entire world are experiencing an enormous wave of clashes between groups on political, religious and racial grounds. The impact of these clashes is experienced like a tsunami that everyone can feel in their own country or community.

In this workshop, we will bring forth this concept that groups can bring us together but also tear us apart. We will bring forth different kinds of encounters and role reversals to allow the participants to experience themselves in positions that constantly change as does our reality these days.

By using sociometric tools such as spectrogram and sociogram, we will try to follow J.L Moreno’s footsteps in order to actively understand how we can harness the power of groups in orders to make good, to connect rather than divide. In order to do so we will need to arouse spontaneity and creativity because as Moreno says, ‘the problem is how to elicit from every man his maximum spontaneous participation so that we can lay bare the fundamental structures between persons and between persons and objects’ (Moreno, J.L, Sociometry 1, pp 206, 1937).

During this session participants will experience firsthand the warm embrace that groups can give, as well as the dangers they can cause to an individual and a community.

Hopefully, after the workshop, participants will be able to better identify harmful processes between groups and, as group leaders and therapists, allow a dialogue that connects between different individuals and societies.

 READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-mali-raz-ayala-krizel/

Sociatry, the science of social healing. (J.L. Moreno, 1955, p. 88)

Moreno’s sociatry is created to address and heal large groups and societal issues. The sociatric understanding forms the foundations and rationale of sociodrama.

It is from “sociatry,” a pathological counterpart of such a science [sociometry] that knowledge can be derived as to the abnormal organization of groups, the diagnosis and prognosis, prophylaxis, and control of deviate group behavior. (J.L. Moreno, 1946, p. 251-252)

The mental health of an individual is closely connected to the mental health of the society they live in, and vice versa. Changing the structure of society is dependent on cultural change. Changing culture, in turn, is possible through role transformation. The collective component of the role is in interaction with its personal component as well. How can a New Vision for a Collective Future be created?

Sociodrama, the dramatic deep action method, which deals with inter-group relations and collective ideologies. (J.L. Moreno, 1943b, p. 331)

In this workshop, while exploring the rationale of the new society through sociodrama, the importance of individuals’ roles will also be addressed. Therefore, the term “Psychosociodrama” might be more appropriate.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-deniz-altinay/

For those escaping hunger, poverty, and persecution, and for others facing various disadvantages, the fundamental question arises: do we include and accept them? Do we open ourselves and our assets to them? Are we willing to understand them and their situation? Do we see the values and dignity of others as our own? “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was a stranger and you invited me in.”

As a result of the scriptural understanding of man’s existence in the world, bibliodrama, similar to sociodrama, is an important medium for aspirations to transcend the vicissitudes of current life situations. In the workshop we will try to show how a biblical story can become an inspiration for solving problems on a social level by understanding the human experience told to help the community to better mobilize its resources and to take responsibility.

Our starting story is a fascinating intercultural-interethnic event: „In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab {…} They married Moabite women.”

In the first part of our workshop, we will experience and reflect on the social context of the narrative. Afterward, we will together create the reality of the initial situation here and now. In the meantime, we will pay particular attention to the common ground in the interpersonal relations of the moment, to aspects of understanding, solidarity, inclusion, and subsidiarity. We will attempt to experience the joys and challenges of an ecumenical and intercultural attitude, and how and to what extent scriptural truth can be made relevant to us: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7, 12)

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-tunde-majsai-hideg-katalin-hegyes/

When we launched our training program in the fall of 2022, the shadow of the status law loomed over teachers’ heads (a law recently introduced in Hungary that further restricted the mobility and personal rights of teachers) and some were even involved in protests or seeking alternative employment. School faculties were fragmented, and students were learning from home. In the midst of these uncertain times, we were unsure if there was a demand for yet another training program, but we sensed a need for support. Therefore, we organized workshops, and to our surprise, the available slots were filled within days.

Our 60-hour accredited teacher training program, held under such circumstances, had two main objectives. Firstly, to introduce teachers to the concept and approach of sociodrama, enabling them to bring this perspective into their schools. Secondly, to provide educators with straightforward action-method techniques that they can apply in their daily work when addressing disengaged and seemingly powerless adolescents or when attempting to make the often traditional lessons relevant to contemporary youth.

What made this training unique was our collaboration with the Radnóti Theater in Budapest, which provided an opportunity to bridge the gap between the artistic experience and students, who are mostly trained on fast-paced digital cultural products.

In our workshop, we demonstrate how to engage and motivate high school students through sociodrama. The workshop uses a scene from a play as a starting point, illustrating how sociodramatic exercises can be integrated to address questions and issues that resonate with students.

Participation in the workshop provides ideas on how to:

• make students more active in the classroom.
• educate students in critical thinking.
• increase their empathy.
• boost their self-confidence.
• awaken students’ creativity
• process issues that affect them through a theater performance

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-agnes-blasko-moni-durst-krisztina-galgoczi-andrea-kocsi/

Giving birth and being born is a universal experience for all of us. This topic continues to gather significant interest, spark debates, and evoke strong emotions. However, even if the experience seems unique, it is also deeply rooted in the social context, belief systems, and world views that define our society.

Some people believe that the sanctity of childbirth can only take place in an intimate environment of peace and quiet, and this is backed up by anthropological and medical research which highlights the lower risk of home births. However, women who choose to give birth at home often face anger, attacks, and stigmatization from the majority of society and institutional authorities.What are the social factors that lead a significant number of women to choose hospitals as their place of birth, despite reports of difficult experiences? Many women face humiliating, impersonal, and authoritarian treatment within the healthcare system, with a certain percentage experiencing trauma. 

The aim of our workshop is to explore and raise awareness of the driving forces behind the above choices through sociodramatic exploration. We would like for our participants to be able to stand up for themselves or ask for help in vulnerable situations.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-peter-girgas-andrea-kocsi/

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair—So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow—I have a dream—I have a dream that one day—a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice—I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.(Martin Luther King)

Non-violence is an active action with the aim to act in conflicts without weapons and physical violence. Martin Luther King called it a soul force. For soul force, nonviolence is about getting outside of over/under power dynamics, where we win and someone else loses.

Moreno’s philosophy is founded on the idea of spontaneity and role-reversal, even with your antagonist. It does not mean you have the same values or accept he or she is right, but you are able to see who the antagonist really is and act creative.

After the session participants will have had experiences of nonviolent conflict resolution and be able to describe soul force and its connection with Morenian philosophy.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-kerstin-jurdell/

Sociodrama is an action method created by Dr. J.L. Moreno, Group members spontaneously enact a social situation, assuming assigned roles to study and address problems in collective relationships or social issues. Theatre of the Oppressed is a method created by the Brazilian practitioner Augusto Boal. It encompasses theatrical forms Boal first developed in the 1960s, initially in Brazil and later in Europe and North America. Boal’s techniques use theatre as a means of promoting social and political change. How can Sociodrama and Theatre of the Oppressed collaborate to promote, explore, understand, and advance human rights, fostering dignity worldwide? How can international practitioners use these two methods together to address the global purpose of humanity? This workshop will provide a methodology for understanding and initiating change.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-daniela-simmons-bojana-glusac-drasla-2/

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) rights are under pressure as social conservatives have increasingly taken action to target legislation and policies against LGBTI people. The political rhetoric driving these anti-LGBTI policies has led to an increase in the amount of hate speech and violence LGBTI people face and makes workspaces, schools and other public spaces feel unsafe. This impact is amplified by internalized messages stemming from years of micro-aggressions. In this workshop, we will use sociodrama to explore strategies to help LGBTI people navigate and resist the impact of anti-LGBTI rhetoric and find ways to help them effectively speak truth to power. 1. Define Kipper’s (2002) cognitive double. 2. Describe how to use embodied cognition to help participants experience a sense of empowerment.

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Sociodrama in this presentation is defined as a combination of psychodrama and group analysis. Every meeting begins with free-floating discussion (ga), continues with personal psychodrama vignettes on stage(pd), without deepening the individual meaning of the vignets, but interpreted as the contribution to the matrix of the group (ga), ends with sharing (pd).

The presenter will talk about her experience in the application of this method in understanding art and society. And then specifically, more detail about the workshop “Sociodrama vignettes about the future“, which was held in Krk (Croatia) in 2023, within the climate camp. The workshop aimed to create a space to share intimate hopes and fears about the future in the context of climate change. Scheduled on the last day of camp, as we were saying goodbye, this workshop was the opportunity to get in touch with sadness and morning for things that we are going to part with (camp/ world as we know it).

In the second part of the presentation, there will be some action experience in a free-floating discussion for the participants.

READ MORE:  https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-gordana-maric-lalovic/

We will combine an idea of Gianni Rodari for creating a fairy tale or a story and the ideas of Moreno’s about sociodrama.

According to Gianny Rodari there are a Hero, a Valiant, a Secret, a Fraud, a Helper, Magic gift, a task, a question in every good story or fairy-tale.

We are considering thinking about these characters as social roles and use them for making a sociodrama together with children – The conductors and children chose a topic, everyone chooses a role among Hero, Valiant…, build a stage, and create a story playing together with children- spontaneously, improvising, experimenting.

The participants in our workshop will have the opportunity to experience this process of sociodrama from the role of the adult or from the role of the children.

We will also share this experience at the end of the workshop.

At the end of the workshop the participants will have a better understanding about this kind of work with children and will be able to apply it in their field of work

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-daniela-tahirova/

This workshop will explore the experience of those who have been involuntarily displaced from their homes by war, famine and other acts of violence and discrimination.

Participants will be helped through Sociodrama, action based and reflective exercises to connect with and explore in action others experiences of displacement and loss of control over their own lives.

The three levels of Sociodrama; Sharing from role, Personal Sharing and Social Learning will provide a container and an opportunity for integration of learning.

Aims and Objectives: To increase our understanding and empathy with those who are displaced. We also hope that participants will be inspired to create connections with those displaced and on the edges of their communities.

Learning objectives: At the end of the workshop participants will have:

1. A greater understanding and empathy with those who are displaced in their communities.
2. Expanded their ability to step into another’s shoes and see the world from their perspective.
3. Develop a vision of how to reach out or advocate for change in their communities

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-pen-fitzgerald/

Aim: To explore the frustrations that create intergroup conflict in the group’s collective subconscious and to find out the potentials in the collective subconscious between groups to reduce the feeling of frustration and develop cooperation.

Background: The Middle East is going through a difficult period, especially in the last few decades, with increased intergroup tensions. While negative experiences negatively affect the potential for future generations of different groups to come together, it is everyone’s common responsibility to preserve the feeling of living together for the formation of a more peaceful world that Moreno dreams of.

In addition to addressing intergroup relations with Moreno’s sociometry and sociodrama approach, synthesising Jung’s collective unconscious and shadow concepts with sociodrama offers important opportunities in understanding conflict and resolution.

Learning objectives of the workshop:
Participants,
1. They will experience the interaction of positive, negative or natural roles of different groups in the Middle East.
2. In sharing experiences, it will be expressed what increases the possibility of conflict and what facilitates the possibility of cooperation.
3. Finally, prominent collective elements will be determined and alternative solutions will be experienced on stage.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-m-turabi-yerli-reyhan-cakmak-ozlem-karabulut/

Participants will be provided with a methodology to deal with emotionally difficult situations and organisational and personal conflicts by using sociodrama tools such as exchange of positions in group mediation steps. The aim is that participants will experience and later apply in their work an interdisciplinary combination of group dynamics, sociodrama, conflict management, and mediation in sensitive multi-stakeholder situations.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-gyula-goda/

The challenges of recent years are leading people to realize that in order to face the future confidently, it is necessary to part with the past ecologically and consciously. This seminar is a sociodramatic study of the phenomenon of parting at different levels: personal, family, group, and social. Using sociometry and sociodramatic tools, participants will actualize their experience of disengagement from dysfunctional systems. After this session, they will be able to expand their range of responses to environmental uncertainty, find personal resource states, and structure their approach to disengagement as a process.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-maksim-romenskyi/

In this workshop, the presenter will introduce her experience of working with social and educational centers for disabled children and their families.

Often, the professionals who are working in the social field have their various negative feelings towards the children’s parents: blame, irritation, even a desire to save the children from “negligent parents”. The use of sociodramatic action in the work process (training or supervision) helps professionals to see the situation of the families in a more global, and at the same time – in a more individual plan, to step into the shoes of the parents; and to devise more concrete, creative and humane approaches to support them.

And when we are working with groups of parents – this approach allows them to name and to illustrate their “forgotten” and suppressed feelings. And to re-accept their human nature – suffering, deeply hurting and full of hopes for a decent life.

After this session the participants will be able to identify and understand more deeply the different inner processes in the parents of the children with disabilities; and to apply this understanding in their social and therapeutic approaches and interventions in the work with them.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-inna-braneva/

The objective of the workshop is to propose a Sociodrama experience in which the group starts from a process based on essential communicative elements that allow individual defenses to be lowered and let a new space for a shared story.

 AIMS

1) To connect one’s own origins and stimulate pre-verbal communication, in an ontogenetic, and phylogenetic sense, using every sense and modality.

2) To search for group times and rhythms as a consequence of respecting the personal time of each one.

3) to discover traditional elements and ancient cultures that can be intertwined in a common here and now.

The objective of the workshop is to propose a Sociodrama experience in which the group starts from a process based on essential communicative elements that allow individual defences to be lowered and create a new space for a shared story.

Multiculturality is an essential human characteristic that allows each visitor to recognize in the lands where he arrives and stops, a part of himself of his culture, his world, his sounds, his origins, his essence.Observing the process of culture we see that history does not proceed in leaps. The succession of social movements of populations who overlap, contrast, assimilate and differentiate in a continuous movement causes the re-emergence of cultural resources and values even when they seemed gone forever.

The action becomes an instrument to overcome the limits in the ability to develop concepts while changing context and habits.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-maria-gabriella-nicotra-2/

The workshop will be based on Hanna Kende child psychodrama. In the child psychodrama groups the participants will work on their own self-healing abilities. In the groups you will experience the power of community, belonging and acceptance.
The community experience also develops social skills and helps us find our place in the world.Fictional stories use imagination to transport participants into a pretend world, where they develop through their role choices from occasion to occasion.

Our groups provide a model for a well-functioning community and we also experience that the model is carried forward by participants into their own communities.

In the workshop we will explore how events in the outside world influence stories, how issues affecting society enter the intimate space of the group and how honest and creative solutions to war, pandemic, climate crisis are generated. We also explore how participants in our groups process these events.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-csilla-kubovics-juhasz-dora-soos/

Finding the “Gold” in the “Golden Year”: Maximizing the creativity for communities throughout the life-span

As we age, roles shift, change, and all too often, contract. Yet, communities thrive and reach their full potential when all participants are able to participate fully within the limits of their abilities. When embraced, age can provide space to access powerful new energies and tune into archetypes of compassion, outrage, power and new layers of wisdom. The gift that years and experience offer is the potential for increased clarity and voice. Moreno’s methodologies of psychodrama and sociodrama provide avenues to expand roles and find new ones. In this workshop we will provide tools to help ourselves and those we work with identify archetypes that will help them step fully and confidently into the fullness of their most authentic selves and enrich their own lives and that of the communities with which they interact.

Learning Objectives. After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Identify archetypes useful for ages 50 and beyond
2. Describe two psychodramatic and sociodramatic techniques useful in reinvigorating life after 50
   

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-deborah-s-shaddy/

In this workshop we aim to share our work as sociodramatists and teacher educators in action. Working with sociodrama, action and expressive methods in teacher education for us is to work for social justice, equity, and inclusion in schools, facing the challenges of diversity, exclusion and minorities. This means that from our own perspective, sociodrama allows us to stress a participatory and democratic pedagogy, where teachers and students, together, can learn and build knowledge in interaction through dialogue, co-creating a more participative and democratic environment. In such classrooms the teacher is no more the center of the learning process, and the communication is not anymore unidirectional. Students engage themselves in the learning process and take a proactive role regarding both their individual trajectories and social process of group development. They can simulate situations and play their future roles. They can also put themselves in the role of parents, community members or colleagues. Doing so, we think of an isomorphic process through which probably these future teachers will develop themselves as more flexible, open, and good listener professionals and human beings.

Learning objectives:
– To experience and learn from some shared exercises used by the authors.
– To acknowledge the role of sociodrama and expressive action methods in teacher education and in schools.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-margarida-belchior-luzia-lima-rodrigues/

Objectives: Promote the active learning of psychology students in the discipline of Developmental Psychology 2. Use sociodrama and the biography of important characters as a learning tool for the eight stages of Erik Erikson’s theory.
Theoretical foundation: Erikson (1998) considers the psychosocial development of personality in eight stages: Confidence vs. Mistrust (baby), Autonomy vs. Shame, Doubt (Early Childhood), Diligence vs. Inferiority (school age), Identity vs. Confused Identity (adolescence), Intimacy vs. Isolation (young adult), Generativity vs. Stagnation (Adult), Integrity vs. Despair (Old Age).
Active learning presupposes the student as the protagonist of his/her process. Baptista (2019) points out the various acquisitions provided using play as a tool such as cultural aspects, skills and group coexistence.
Methodology: Sociodramatic presentation of the chosen person’s biography and relating their life experiences to the eight stages of Erik Erikson’s theory of the complete life cycle.
Four meetings were held with two personalities per meeting: Marilyn Monroe, Napoléon Bonaparte, Chorão, Anitta, Frida Kahlo, Silvio Santos, Kurt Cobain, Cazuza.
Goals to achieve: Understand the construction process of sociodrama as a learning tool in the classroom.
Appreciate the result of the presentations that took place in the class of 2023.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-gislaine-lima-da-silva-2/

Experience report of the Psychology course developed in a community center of studies for adolescents.
Objectives: Apply psychodramatic games to promote Psychology student learning and promote active participation to strengthen self-esteem and resilience with adolescents from two groups: fourteen years old (group one) and fifteen to sixteen years old (group two). Theoretical foundation: Adolescence is understood as a set of physical and psychological changes that can generate crises. Aberastury and Knobel (2011) call this period the Normality Adolescence Syndrome. Erik Erikson (1998) identity versus role confusion. Games are a favorable tool to promote spontaneity, creativity and offer a welcoming environment. According to Yozo (1996)  they can be used due to their playfulness to work on conflicts. Methodology: There were 15 meetings with each group with the participation of twenty three adolescents (14 years old) and twenty-eight adolescents (15 and 16 years old). The following games were applied: I am a superhero, 10 things in common, acting out emotions, challenge games, adversity game, quality box, timeline, role reversal, seeking goals. Goals to achieve: Apply the concepts and techniques learned in the classroom in groups in the community. Understand the development process of the Psychology intern and the group he directed.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-gislaine-lima-da-silva/

We are among the first trainees to hold the title of “Assistant Sociodrama Group Leader” in Hungary. One of our pioneering projects involved an experiment that combined the methods of sociodrama and playback theater—both developed by Jacob Levy Moreno.

The roots of playback theater trace back to Jacob L. Moreno’s Stegreiftheater, which operated in Vienna from 1921 to 1923. In this innovative theater, personal stories were vividly brought to life. The fusion of sociodrama and playback theater is particularly intriguing due to the profound role stories play in the fabric of human existence. Stories possess the remarkable ability to unite and connect us, erode the barriers between individuals and their life experiences, and facilitate healing for individuals, families, and even entire societies. Stories represent an ancient and integral aspect of universal culture. By passing them on, we forge traditions and customs, transmit values, educate future generations, and gain a deeper understanding of both ourselves and the world around us. Stories also serve as mirrors to the collective unconscious, the part of our psyche shared by all of humanity and inherently ingrained within us. The goal of our workshop is to explore the sociodrama community and its dynamics through the lens of socio-playback methodology.

We aim to discover our shared narratives and integrate our collective experiences from the sociodrama conference. During the session, participants will engage in a playback performance, where the focus will be on a group, a collective experience, and a shared story. They will come to understand that playback theater can be harnessed to reenact collective stories as well.

Moreover, participants will have the opportunity to discern the distinctions between traditional playback and socio-playback. Together with fellow participants, they will demonstrate the enactment of a collective story on stage, further strengthening their understanding of this powerful approach.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-menyhart-szekeres-vajdics-takacs-ruzsa-oborny-varga/

Many leadership development methods involve a degree of role-playing, including basket-case scenarios, business simulations, serious games, educational live-action role-playing games, coaching interventions, etc.

In this presentation, I outline my PhD research that attempts to contextualize the role that Moreno-rooted dramatic methods like sociodrama can take in leadership development interventions.

After this session participants will be able to compare sociodrama to other methods in leadership development, and define their similarities and differences.
Participants will also be able to report on the current state of sociodrama research.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-matyas-hartyandi/

This is a presentation of the experience of an online supervision group (and some face-to-face ones) in which we used the group device of Dramatic Multiplication as a methodology to decentralize the figure of the supervisor, in the direction of a more collective and co-vision stance. In this presentation we will talk about Dramatic Multiplication, its effects in a supervision group and a reflection on the songs sung in the sessions, as a commentary on the experience.

After this session participants will be able to explore more possibilities of decentralised supervision.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-dayse-bispo-silva/

This presentation describes the way sociodrama was used in the context of an innovative transdisciplinary project entitled “Transition to 8: Bridging social issues, tech and contemporary art”, that applied multimodal methods for studying the impact of social issues on citizens and bridging them with technology and contemporary art. Along with other participatory arts-based approaches, such as the use of social theatre (Saldaña, 2011), sociodrama has developed in recent years from an innovative method of qualitative analysis for social issues into a major transformative intervention for community development (Conrad & Sinner, 2015). In this study, we used sociodrama as an approach that is both inherently embodied and socially minded. Data generation took place in the context of six sociodrama sessions that is, two sessions per subject (environment, labour, migration), in which Eleusis residents were called upon to enact their perspectives, concerns and experiences regarding living in Eleusis on topics that were identified as central concerns for the local community. Each session lasted approximately one-and-a-half hours. The sessions were facilitated by two experienced sociodramatists, members of the research team, who introduced the rationale, the process and the activities of the sessions. In line with the researchers’ interest in multimodal research, the sessions were video- and audio-recorded. Biometric data via wearable sensor, resembling that of smart watches, measuring physiological signals affiliated with emotional arousal were obtained from the participants who felt comfortable wearing the devices. Data from the sessions were provided to artists, in the form of sound, visual, biometric and verbal elements, which constitute sources of inspiration for their artistic productions. Examples from the research findings will be presented in a multimodal way.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-philia-issari-georgios-chaniotis-katerina-lioliou/

This presentation highlights the intersection of historical research on ancient performance-oriented healing rituals and the contemporary practices of psychodrama and sociodrama, showcasing the mutual interest shared by historians and therapists.

My work delves into the evolution of ancient therapeutic rituals. One notable example is the practice within the cult of Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine. Its rituals centered around therapeutic incubation, or ritual dreaming, where devotees sought divine intervention and healing through dream visions. This ritual’s evolution is intricately linked to theater, as sacred performances in theaters were employed to make divine experiences accessible to worshippers even before they engaged in ritual dreaming. These practices not only nurtured individual imagery but also formed therapeutic communities. Devotees, all seeking divine visions for healing, found themselves restored to meaningful social roles due to their intimate connection with the divine and the invisible realm.

The prospect of engaging in dialogue with therapists and researchers immersed in psychodrama and sociodrama methods holds great promise for mutual enrichment. Historical insights can contribute to innovative approaches in modern therapy, while therapists can offer valuable perspectives to deepen our understanding of ancient therapeutic rituals’ dynamics. This synergy offers the potential for a more profound comprehension of the intricate interplay between performance and therapy across time.

1. Participants will develop the ability to discern meaningful correlations between ancient performance-based traditions and contemporary psychodrama and sociodrama therapeutic methods.
2. Participants will enhance their existing skill sets by integrating well-researched insights from the historical utilization of performance as a therapeutic modality.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-luigi-lafasciano/

This presentation will look into the metatheatrical aspects of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” with a special focus on the play that Treplev, one of the characters, stages. We use Jacob L. Moreno’s sociodrama theory to understand how personal problems and social rules are connected in the play. A key part of this is the new kind of play Treplev creates, which is very different from the traditional theater that his mother, Arkadina, represents. We analyze how Treplev is trying to find his own artistic voice and identity, showing the big conflicts between different generations and ideas at that time.

In this presentation, we will use sociodrama to look at important themes like being true to art, problems within families, and the pressure to follow social norms. We also think about how the audience is involved in this metatheatrical setting. This shows how Chekhov mixes acting and real life, making people think about their own roles and identities in society.

To end, we will see “The Seagull” as a strong tool for sociodrama. It shows complicated relationships between people and social expectations, and it makes us think deeply about art, who we are, and how people interact with each other. This deep look at Chekhov’s play gives us a new way to see its lasting importance and artistic beauty.

Learning Objectives:
1. Attendees will learn to find and understand the metatheatrical parts in “The Seagull,” and see why they are important for showing social and personal issues.
2. Participants will learn more about how drama can be used to study society and psychology, and see how dramatic literature affects how the audience sees and interacts with the play.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-hossein-oroumiehchiha/

At the workshop, after a short introduction of findings and experiences of the Research Group so far, we place our topic on a sociodramatic stage, representing key „actors” – such as reality (whatever that means); dramatic methods; other, traditionally established data collection methods; people form the Academia not familiar with dramatic methods; the “subject” of the research; and anyone and anything the participants bring in – and see how the scene unfolds itself in the process of co-creation. We hope to gain insights into epistemological questions surrounding knowledge derived from drama, addressing issues and dilemmas tied to the dramatic modality, ethical considerations, and the researcher’s role.

Learning objectives: Participants develop an understanding of needs and requirements of academic research related to dramatic methods, and an insight into challenges and opportunities of dramatic methods as a research tool in terms of data validity, research ethics, transferability, and so on.

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WORKSHOP:
The workshop offers a view on sociodrama techniques applied in the context of social work with migrant communities. This method is used to foster social learning, mental health and interven-tions to provide young migrants an opportunity to gain insight into the obstacles and widen the repertoire of strategies when building their future in their new home country.
Theoretical background: Youth immigrants and their poorly structured families suffer a kind of personality disorder with a lack of mentalization abilities, lack of mental health attention and severe difficulties to become integrated into social and work structures. The best way to address this situation is through Specific Social Structures for them, that includes social learning and education, group sociodramatic interventions, support in work training and work searching and psychodramatic mental health assistance.

Methodology: Sociodrama , Psychodrama, Mentalization, Group for Social Active Learning
Learning objectives:

• Participants gain an understanding of the psycho-social background of working with migrant youth entering the labor market
• Participants try different sociodramatic and mentalization techniques they can use in their practices with migrant groups

PRESENTATION
The proposal contains presentations of projects from Spain and Hungary on how sociodrama and action methods can be effective tools in supporting marginalized youth when they enter the labor market. These share similar target groups (young migrants), and involve professionals in supporting roles (social workers, educators, psychologists). These groups’ social, economic or cultural backgrounds mean that they face multiple obstacles when aiming to get jobs and reach independence. The application of sociodramatic techniques fosters the identifying of such obstacles and experimenting with new strategies in work-related and family environments, supporting them to reach a higher level of independence, allowing them to create a new future for themselves.
Theoretical background: Youth immigrants and their poorly structured families suffer a kind of personality disorder with a lack of mentalization abilities, lack of mental health attention and severe difficulties to become integrated into social and work structures. Best way to address this situation is through Specific Social Structures for them, that includes social learning and education, group sociodramatic interventions, support in work training and work searching and psychodramatic mental health assistance.

Learning objectives: Giving examples of application of sociodrama techniques with migrant youth
Demonstrating modalities of sociodramatic techniques with youth and their supporters

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-pablo-alvarez-valcarce-peter-klausz/

A large-group sociodramatic multiverse constellation AI, climate catastrophe, wars, diseases, capitalism – countless crises and transformations are pulling and tugging at our society, our institutions, organizations, communities and at us as individuals. Parallel worlds are emerging and colliding. This is also changing Sociodrama and the sociodrama community.

In this session, we will take a look at the dynamics and interplay within and between these crises and transformations. What does all this do to Sociodrama? We will explore this in action. Based on a bricolage of Sociodrama, Social Presencing Theater (SPT) and Constellations, we will explore how these issues affect Sociodrama simultaneously.

After warm-ups based on SPT, we will explore these five issues. Small groups will define a sociodramatic research question and roles for their issue. Like in a multiverse constellation, an in-group on the main stage then does a piece of action that will inform all the small groups simultaneously. But instead of constellations, we will work with a SPT form called The Village. Sounds crazy? It sure is. We will walk, stand, sit, lay down and make turns. We will laugh and enjoy ourselves – despite the grim issues.

Small groups will explore these topics via roles

• AI, climate, war, diseases, capitalism and sociodrama
• Artificial intelligence and sociodrama
• Climate catastrophe and sociodrama
• Wars/armed conflicts and sociodrama
• New diseases and sociodrama
• Capitalism and sociodrama

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-joerg-jelden-valerie-monti-holland/

In this workshop, we’ll demonstrate how sociodrama can be used in a foreign language class context.

Participants in a language class are human beings and have to be considered and approached as such.

Our method Psychodramaturgy for Language Acquisition (PDL) is based principally on Morenos conceptions of development and well-being. The concept of the creative circle is key.

“Spontaneity can be trained”, said Moreno. And this is what we do.

PDL is a pedagogical method based on the encounter, on being in the here-and-now. Participants do not study language; they use it as a means for encounter. It is about being, doing and living in the foreign language. The trainer provides the framework and the safe place, and assists the participants in their need to express themselves.

In this workshop, participants will experience language acquisition with the PDL method; a pedagogy on its feet, with content based on the relevance to the participants and the group.

They will be able to apply sociodramatic role-creation and role-playing in a foreign language classroom.

They will be in a better position to reflect on how language is acquired and get practical tools to promote encounter in the foreign language classroom.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-robert-zammit-lara-vincent/

In this workshop, we will utilize sociodrama techniques to delve into the archetypal messages found within fairy tales, examining their resonance within ecopsychological contexts.

We will be working on the Indian tale The Buffalo Girl and her Friend the Crow (William Camus: Firebirds – a collection of stories).The technique used here uses sociodramatic and playback theatre devices by J.L. Moreno and J.Fox. The theory of interpretation of the fairy tale is based on the Treasure Hunting Story Therapy method created by Márta Antalfai, which is strongly based on the analytic theory of C.G. Jung. The above method combines elements of psychodrama and Jungian analytic-based story therapy.

During the workshop, spiritual work takes place in the group, using the fabric of the chosen fairy tale as a base story, and the main interpsychic conflicts and crises in the story are played out. The focus will be on nature settings and characters symbolically present in the fairy tales, and their impact on humans, especially the protagonist and their human relations. 

In the process we personalise important objects, people, and act out the situation. The choice of roles is individual. At the start we will be choosing roles, setting the scene, and afterwards there will be processing and feedback. We will be working with all our senses. This allows us to learn about ourselves, our connections, details we did not know before, which can help us identify our problems. Fairy tales contain special underlying themes, ancient symbols, archetypes, basic conflict patterns, through which we can receive energies from the collective unconscious, beyond the individual consciousness.

This tale explores questions of living together in and with nature, belonging to a group, and the necessary and sufficient use of nature.

We will be focusing on two scenes. In the first one we explore the difficulties of the heroine’s return to the group after growing up in nature. In the other, we will look at two human responses to nature’s eternal bounty – one where greed and insatiability rule, and the other where necessity and moderation dominate.

Through these two examples, we can see the element that is fundamental to the tales, that human changes are closely linked to nature, as if they were an imprint, thus proving symbolically and factually that man and nature are inseparable, and their fate is interdependent.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-attila-donath-andrea-kaloczkai/

In a World of Global Warming, the Frequency of Hurricanes and Earthquakes and Floods and Fire,
Are the Gods to Blame?

Why are we having these natural catastrophes? Was this part of the gods’ plan? What is our collective responsibility for our past and our collective future?

J.L. Moreno had the view that everyone is interconnected with and related to the creator. He thinks that a creator, sometimes referred to as the Godhead, is where creativity originates. We propose staging a mock trial to interrogate the godhead(s) entity about creation and the current state of the world to better understand how we may all work together to reverse what we are currently experiencing. Participants will have the opportunity to choose who or what will address the godheads, such as elements in nature and/or representatives of other cultures. They will choose the venue for the trial, such as a conference, a community center, an open area, or a courtroom.

Learning Objectives:

• To have heightened agency to do things in community outside of our comfort zone;
• To reframe the question of blaming;
• To use Sociodrama to build an ecology of praxis for change.and to build an ecosystem around a praxis for social interrogation and intervention.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-sheila-dallas-katzman-whitney-bell-uneeda-brewer/

During the trying wartime period, Ukrainian psychologists and psychotherapists encountered many challenges in their work. We found ourselves in a new reality we could neither have predicted nor prepared for in advance.

Just like our clients, we, the professionals providing psychological assistance, felt the need for emotional processing, support and connection as well as for professional communication that would enable us to explore the new issues we faced in our work.

Thus, we formed a sociodrama group led by Ron Wiener and Diane Adderley.

The members of the group found the strength to meet during the long months of war and related the reality of traumatic events – manifested by different roles and voices – to the group. We did our best to examine the terrible occurrences and to understand and analyse the processes taking place within ourselves, within our personal and professional relationships, within society at large and the international community. We also observed how these processes were reproduced in the group.

We had to learn on the go and managed to achieve a lot.

During the workshop we will:
o reveal what lies behind the curtain and invite you to take a look at the work done by a group that met during the interminable war months while abiding by the principle of confidentiality;
–  tell you how we moved from the declared goal to the needs that arose during our work;
– share the insights the group received due to their work together;
– affirm the importance and effectiveness of the sociodrama method as demonstrated by our experience;
– invite you to the action and the encounter.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-olena-kuchynska-angelina-karimova/

Using key action techniques such as the “revealing chairs”, metaphors, writing texts, objects or picture cards, the workshop will explore in a sociodramatic way the obstacles and levers to facilitate change and new visions for a collective future in communities, groups and/or working teams. The workshop is articulated in the book “Facilitating Collective Intelligence, a Handbook for Trainers, Coaches, Consultants and Leaders” (Routledge 2029). In addition to the action techniques, an attention will focus on :

– Key inner attitudes to facilitate a sociodramatic work

– Key questions to activate collective intelligence in a sociodramatic work

After this session, participants will be able to :

• Internalize an inner attitude to facilitate a sociodramatic work
• Identify a key question to activate collective intelligence in a sociodramatic work
• Explore the use of an action technique to foster a sociodramatic work
  

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-chantal-neve-hanquet-agathe-crespel/

Ideally, J.L. Moreno connects the identity of the individual with that of humanity by underlining how the salvation of the individual cannot be achieved without a simultaneous active focus on the “other”. To articulate the attention on the individual AND on the collective is not always easy.

The workshop will be organize in three phases, as a “socio-psycho-sociodrama” :
1) Sociodramatic approach
2) Psychodramatic phase
3) Returning to the sociodramatic approach.
This will develop an understanding of how the two methodological forms can be integrated without the risk of mixing and confusing them.

After this session participants will be able to
• Outline some constituent elements of sociodrama
• Outline some constituent elements of psychodrama
• Distinguish the difference between sociodrama and psychodrama

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-marco-greco/

Using action methods, sociometry and sociodrama, we will address anything that comes up with regard to the economy, be it personal or more systemic, and we will give all aspects a place and voice. This approach creates awareness around how our attitude shapes our decisions around money and helps us create strategies for a purposeful Economy. 

After this workshop, participants are (more) aware of their own beliefs & behaviours around economic issues and can take home various options to implement change within their circle of influence

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-dorchess-de-koning/

Salutogenesis – means the origin of health, and pathogenesis is the origin of disease.

How can we help the helpers living under the same circumstances as their clients?
How can they keep their strength and confidence in the role of a therapist during the war, when bombing and missiles are falling around their homes or when they are overwhelmed and stressed by not feeling able to help their clients?
How can the professional helpers care for themselves and not get secondary traumatisation through being too empathetic with their client’s traumatic experiences? What kind of survival strategies do they use? How did the ancestors survive the war they have been through?
How can we come out of the state of hypo and hyper arousal? When the nervous system is overloaded and cannot tolerate the pressure anymore, the system shuts down, and we get paralysed, helpless and numbed. These reactions are the body’s defence mechanisms and are life-saving for the moment, but in the long run, if we stay in these states, these can endanger our lives.
This workshop is a psycho-sociodramatic exploration of how to regain balance, integrate rational and emotional functioning, and tolerate stressful situations (broaden the window of tolerance) by focusing on the resources, thus developing resilience.
Bring your cases or yourself as a case of traumatisation, and let’s learn from each other.

Learning objectives:

• Learn to identify how the body reacts to hypo and hyperarousal
• Learn what the window of tolerance is
• Learn the importance of a support system

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-judith-teszary/

In this workshop, helping professionals and educators will gain insight and firsthand experience into how sociodramatic techniques can enhance their skills, especially in intercultural settings. Participants will explore their helper role and function as we gain insight into working with clients from diverse backgrounds. The workshop will also provide an opportunity to explore the sensitivities associated with disadvantaged group affiliations and stigmas, and their impact on the helper-client relationship.

The workshop’s methodology was conceived and refined in the unique setting of training volunteers for a suicide prevention line. The preparation, planning, and supervision of the approach were conducted within the context of the inaugural sociodrama training in Hungary.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-gabor-csuvik-krisztina-galgoczi/

Aims

1) to promote psychosocial development as the ability to be self-aware, regarding the inner world, and respect one’s own emotional experience within a care context.

2) to improve their relational ability and communicative skills, developing deep communication and creative solutions in difficult and extreme situations.

3) to establish a safe relational field in which to think and process the theme of lack, loss and death.

Jung spoke of the archetype of the wounded healer, who holds within himself

two opposite poles: the healer and the wounded. More relevant than ever in the care professions.

Developing their own experiences will allow everyone to learn from relationships with patients and families, to learn from experience. Creative ability to perceive and improve the characteristics of families at home will be stimulated, focusing on the positive resources of environmental contexts.

method:

Communication, Active listening, Narrative Medicine, Socio-Psycho-drama, Art Therapy will be presented both in terms: patient and family care, group team work.

To create a space in which participants can reflect critically on interpersonal relationships within the care relationship with users and families. We can meet the myth of the omnipotence of medicine with the ancient myths of Chiron and the transience of life, and process mourning experiences together.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-maria-gabriella-nicotra/

Learning Objectives:

After the session participants will:

• Assess their conflict resolution styles;
• Gain increased understanding about the dynamics of conflict and dissent, understanding its potential benefits;
• Shape their own unique approach towards handling it productively.

Methodology:
• Warm-up prepares participants to come together & develop the enactment;
• scenic imagery; constellations, sculptures;
• Presentation by director; thematic work in small groups; group discussions, etc.

Theory and basis:
There are three types of Sociodrama: Topic centered sociodrama ; Group centered sociodrama; Sociocultural sociodrama. (Ameln and Becker-Ebel).
This workshop demonstrates Topic Centered Sociodrama.
The framework used is Thomas Kilmann’s Model of Different Styles of Handling Conflict

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-rashmi-datt-2/

In this workshop we will go from a personal primal drawing to reconnect through collective creation in search of our tribe, a place to belong, a holding frame where we can be ourselves and be part of a community.

What can we learn from our ancient roots? What is there that we can take into our lives today? What is our personal responsibility versus our personal agency amongst the wider society? How can we steer ourselves to further the greater good and strengthen community?

We will be exploring the power of play to connect our personal communal histories that form groups and society in the hope that we can co-create a better world.

After this session participants will:

• Have a better understanding through their experience of combining the creative arts with sociometry and sociodrama.
• Explore how we can use personal agency for the greater collective
• Remember the importance of play

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-jacomien-ilbrink-valerie-monti-holland/

Bullying is a form of violent behavior that can take different forms including

physical intimidation such as injury or the threat of it, spitting, pushing and kicking as well as non-physical intimidation such as verbal victimization

including calling names, insults, spiteful taunts or mockery. Malicious gossip, spreading rumors and rejection from the group are also considered to be forms of bullying among school children. Due to the rapid development of technology, bullying has been extended and intimidation is being exercised through social media and electronic devices too.

The art therapy intervention is a helpful approach which can help build awareness about the harmful effects of bullying as well as identify the behaviors perceived by the students as bullying. This intervention influences directly the emotional sphere of children, develops their self-confidence thus creating a healthy psycho-social environment in our schools, forming positive conflict resolution skills and behavioural strategies in order to prevent bullying.

On the other hand sociodrama in education can enhance spontaneity and creativity, in both teachers and students, transform conflicts in useful learning situations, explore how we can live together in a better way and can also go much further than the well -known desk-pencil-and-paper learning tool, contributing to a more integrated development in all dimensions of school students’ personalities.

During this session the participants will be able to explore how the combination of these two methods in action works in order to successfully prevent bullying in schools. They will be able apply minimum 3 of the presented techniques in their work with school children.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-lydia-yordanova/

Dream drawing (Disegno Onirico) with its roots in surrealism, archetypal theories, Goëte’s color theory, the amazing work of Bermolén and Dal Porto etc. is the ground on which the Holistic Psychodrama develops. We successfully apply this amazing and joyful tool to sociodrama and Socio-psychodrama. Individual works develop and expand, linking personal experience to issues concerning the whole group, the society, or the entire planet. The aim of our workshop is to link the group’s archetypal language to Sociodrama’s collective character and aims. We will identify, through spontaneous associations and drawings, our needs and aspirations as starting points and find new common “Visions for a Collective Future”. While using the symbolic language of colors and shapes which are common to every (human or not) being in the world, you do NOT have to be good at drawing!

Two learning objectives:

•  to know more about sociopsychodrama and its theoretical framework
• to show how Dream Drawing can contribute to personal, spontaneous expression as well as to the group’s cohesion and to the sociodramatic work
  

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-flavia-bocchino-mariolina-werner-guarino/

Trees have always played an important role in our societies, communities and lives. They serve as shelter,a source of oxygen, energy and beauty, a place to play, a place to meet. In many different faiths around the world, trees carry symbolism and allegory. The “Tree of Life ” metaphor is seen as a source of life with fruits providing life and often immortality!

In this workshop we will trace our personal connection to the tree as a symbol or a real object and will delve into challenging issues for humanity such as growing, belonging, creating, idealising, protecting, destroying, sacrificing, healing and surviving.

The workshop is based on sociodrama and art therapy practices.

Learning objectives are based on exploring ways of dealing with losing power and facing the unknown while protecting the team spirit and creativity, learning how to find meaning in a new unknown situation and trusting the collective energy to heal and create.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-dr-smaroula-pandelis/

Being aware of the problems that we are living with in the world (wars, climatic urgence, the polarization of societies, concentration of richness and increasing of poverty). What makes sense to us in this Conference’s multicultural setting, is to share a social and political event that affected both our collective and individual lives. This was the pacific Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974. Portuguese people left behind 48 years of dictatorship and a colonial war. So in 2024, there will be the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Peace, Freedom and Democracy in Portugal. This revolution  is still a very inspirational moment for most of the Portuguese people, including also Social Justice and Human Rights.

We will “warm up” the participants by sharing our own memories of this historical period, besides illustrating it with some pieces of art.

Our sociodramatic questions are: From this inspirational and social event – the Portuguese Carnation Revolution – what do you take, to face problems that we are living with in our society?

We will invite participants to discuss and work in groups about what inspires them the most and how it can help them to contribute and transform some of the social issues they find in their communities or groups. 

Finally, we will propose that participants share, in action and using expressive arts, having in mind, as Moreno taught us, that we are all co-creators and can build together more inclusive and equitable societies now and in the future – surplus reality.

From a research methodology perspective, we will use a participatory action research methodology, as this will be an open, experiential and participative workshop, based on Sociodrama.

After this workshop, participants will be able:

• To co-create a collaborative artwork piece, like sculptures or drawings, that will express the sharing and feelings associated with what they shared and lived in the workshop;
• To become more familiar with the concept of “surplus reality” concept.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-margarida-belchior/

Using the power of sociodrama and the resources of the group, we will explore roles that hold limitless and limited hope. Sociodrama allows us to better understand the thoughts and feelings of others and learn new roles and ways of being.

As we move forward in a world of uncertainty and rapid changes, we need tools to help generate and foster hopefulness. Bring your curiosity and desire to decipher the hidden purpose of limiting hope and together we will work to find ways to bridge the divergence between the two roles.

Group sociometry will guide us as the sociodramatic roles negotiate and create ‘here and now’ solutions to help move toward hopefulness and away from despair. This two-hour workshop will start with empty chairs to identify general thoughts and feelings of HOPE and LIMITED HOPE and will evolve into a sociodramatic encounter created by the group. Using trauma-informed methods, we will negotiate through the role differences, overcome fears, and bridge the gap from despair and limited hope to hopefulness. Will hope prevail? You decide.

1. Identify and describe 2 new healthy messages/affirmations that cultivate and foster HOPE.
2. Identify two trauma-informed practices to maintain emotional and physical safety in a group setting.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-julie-wells/

When a community or organisation creates its future, this means active, coordinated, conscientious change. As sociodramatists, we can help communities to imagine and enact a shared vision. What happens next, when people want to act, to transform that shared vision into reality? There is energy, there is will. But how much systemic view is there? How much grace is there for the other members’ actions for change? Often, people can’t see the wood for the trees.

Using sociodrama, we can explore what happens when changes occur in parallel, in various areas of the community’s system and how they can happen synergetically, without competing. To help build a healthy community capacity, we may accompany those members to increase their systemic awareness of the other changes. Thus, the community does not rely only on its leaders, but also on mentally flexible members who are awake, willful and gracious, working together, more collaborative and less conflictual.

By the end of the  workshop, the participants have experienced:

• mapping the system of the changes in a community: actors, actions, stakeholders
• eliciting and concretising the forces shaping those changes
• ways of intervening when there is much energy for changes

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-irina-stefanescu/

Have you ever experienced light, silent, non-verbal, movement-based Sociodrama? In this workshop, we will combine Sociodrama with Social Presencing Theater (SPT) to explore a group or community’s inner and outer relations. SPT is the Embodiment part of Theory U, which is an expanding method for awareness-based systems change. We will start with a SPT form called The Village and then give it a sociodramatic turn.

Participants will not only experience this combination of action methods but also receive a brief introduction to SPT as well as a presentation on three ways to combine two action methods as described in the article “Sociodrama meets Social Presencing Theater on a bricoleur ́s journey” (published in Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie in early 2024).

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-joerg-jelden/

Appreciating another’s point of view, recognising the power of the group, loving and valuing someone for who they are – I call the art of being human. However this is easier said than done as we all live in systems that have patterns of functioning that can work against us achieving this.

This workshop will be conducted as a sociodrama working with Moreno’s vision of a “social” or “creative” revolution in which people are able to respond in new and novel ways, and to reverse roles with other people.

Together we will explore a particular system, uncover the social forces at play, identify interconnections and interdependencies and distinguish what works against or towards participants living in the system to practice the art of being human.

This session will enable participants to appreciate what is possible when all players in the system are engaged in a group process.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-cissy-rock/

Mythology is considered a discipline that contains “universals,” namely topics that concern the collective dimension of humanity. All cultural products, arts, literature, products that repackage and revitalize the themes that have always accompanied human nature are permeated with mythology.

Greek theater, especially tragedy, emerged to allow a form of collective processing of these themes.

But tragedy is usually “seen” by spectators who subjectively rework its emotional component.

The proposal of this abstract concerns the narration of sociodramatic experiences that use tragedies “played” by the spectators. Individual and collective elements blend together: Medea, Antigone, or Oedipus, originally fixed characters from classical texts, are reinterpreted by the individuality of different people. The chorus of tragedy transforms into free movement that comments on the individual interpretations of Medea, Antigone, or Oedipus.

Live music follows the complex interplay that emerges and reshapes it with its acoustic feedback.

The audience, without a fourth wall, participates and loses its primary identity reference; it is no longer “just” the audience.

The director(s) become leader(s) of a jam session that disrupts the orderly structure of a “classic” sociodrama in favor of improvisation.

After this session participants will be able to explore and apply through videos, technical descriptions, and theoretical reflections, how old tools can generate new meanings in sociodramatic work.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-davide-favero-stefano-candellieri/

A comprehensive perspective on social cultures can foster innovative approaches to exploring and reorganizing collective roles. The enchantment of surplus reality resides in the utilization of imagination and play in this pursuit; it enables us to explore and manifest our needs, and goals on how to live and coexist in the collective realm of the future. From the philosophy of Dr. Moreno, we know that through our creative genius, we cultivate new ways of being, co-creating, and connecting. Surplus reality in sociodrama addresses our goal to explore collective creative potential by bringing the future into the present and expressing hopes, readiness, and willingness for change, creating a better world for all.

This workshop will explore pathways on how to turn our visions for the future into present actions and pursuits. Dr. Moreno left us a message that if we can imagine something, we can pursue and accomplish it, reaching out to new “invisible dimensions’ for connection, inclusion, and a collective future in a healed global society.

“Surplus Reality is … an enrichment of reality by the investment and extensive use of imagination” (Moreno, J.L. (1965). Therapeutic vehicles and the concept of surplus reality. Group Psychotherapy, 18, p. 211

The following learning objectives aim to provide participants with a rich and transformative experience in envisioning and realizing a healed and united global community through the applications of surplus reality in sociodrama. After attending this session, the participants will be able to:

• Recognize the concept of surplus reality and its utilization in sociodrama in exploring and manifesting needs, goals, and aspirations for collective living in the future.
• Describe the session’s goal of exploring collective creative potential by bringing future visions into the present, fostering hopes, readiness, and willingness for positive change.
• Define pathways and strategies to turn envisioned futures into tangible present actions and pursuits, in alignment with Dr. Moreno’s belief that imagination can be pursued and accomplished.
  

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-daniela-simmons-bojana-glusac-drasla/

When democratic civil society is threatened by internal and external forces and interests, group therapists and group members in general play a significant and central role, as Moreno believed.

Sociodramatic work is a therapeutic and educational tool that facilitates observation, emotional and mental processing, and promotes an opportunity for paradigm shifts through empathy and thoughtful transformation.

At the end of the meeting, the participants may discover new ways of thinking or hidden feelings that will contribute to a future change in civil life.

READ MORE: https://8thsociodramaconference.com/program-yafi-shpirer/