| July 15 – 18 Facilitators: Giulia Candeloro, Mara Patricelli, Barbara Magliani, and Elena Mastracci (Certified, 2021) Participants: 18 |
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The workshop was centered around the book Conversazioni Contadine by Danilo Dolci. Dolci was an Italian social activist, sociologist, and educator, often called the “Gandhi of Sicily” due to his dedication to nonviolent resistance and his work in advocating for social justice and against poverty. Conversazioni Contadine is a compelling collection of dialogues with Sicilian peasants that delves into their daily struggles, wisdom, and the socio-economic challenges they faced. The book reflects Dolci’s deep commitment to human dignity and social equity, making it an ideal foundation for our Pre-Texts activities.
Throughout the workshop, we conducted various activities that allowed us to engage creatively with the text:
Pantomime: Participants expressed themes from the book through non-verbal, physical performances.
Stand-up Comedy: This exercise involved humorous interpretations of the text, bringing lightness to the discussion of serious topics.
Collage: A visual representation of themes and ideas from Conversazioni Contadine.
Theatre: Dramatic interpretations of key dialogues and scenes from the book.
Collective Drawing: We conducted this activity using the Surrealist technique known as Exquisite Corpse. This collaborative drawing method involves multiple participants contributing to a single piece of artwork without seeing what the others have done. Each person draws a portion of the image, typically by folding the paper so that only a small part of the previous section is visible, and then passing it on to the next participant. The final result is a surprising and often whimsical composite artwork that reflects the group’s collective creativity.
Poetic Tracing: Participants composed a poem using words from the text, starting with a pre-defined poetry structure and using a word from the text as the title (they could choose to omit the title if they preferred). The poem followed prompts such as:
Ameba Tour: We conducted this session at a local gallery, Yag Garage, which provided an inspiring space for creative exploration.
