In the descriptions of the practices, you will find sections with instructions for each practice as well as information about its suggested duration, needed materials, and variant versions. Some of the practices need a person to guide them, while in others the instructions can be read collectively and be performed without a facilitator.
There is also a section that suggests in which phase of collective processes the practices can be used and what kind of qualities they bring to the group dynamic. Adding that information with the suggestions on combinations of the methods that are provided, we hope it will help you to create small formats or even a workshop session for your group or community.
The practices are divided into three categories that represent three phases of a process. They reflect a certain methodology and way of structuring a collective process that are based on Pedro Henrique Risse’s work with groups. This structure might be a more suitable tool for certain purposes and less for others. Contrary to processes that start from a specific question formulated by the facilitator or workshop leader, we start here with a broad thematic frame or a certain feeling that concerns the whole group. And we develop the specific questions along the process, together, to arrive at the end with questions that are both personally and collectively relevant and show new perspectives to an issue, that is, new ways of approaching it. The practices are therefore not focused on problem-solving in the sense of defining a solution together. They are also not focused on the more concrete phase of project development and implementation, designing models or prototypes, etc. They are more suitable for formulating the right description and the right questions to a certain issue. They focus on the perception of an issue, individually and collectively, and the communication necessary to create a shared understanding of it. Accordingly they are useful to grasp the complexity of the multiple perspectives and feelings as well as to open pathways to collaboration based on a sense of shared insight.
Here, you will find more about the three phases and how to use this structure as a tool for designing collective processes.