Social presencing theater - from field to field

Physical movement has since I was a kid been a language for me to express what I felt there wasn’t room for, or I didn’t have tools to express in speech myself. The authenticity of the movement then becomes crucial, and has a time, place and context to it.  

Behind The Scenes: Robyn “Ever Again” Video, choreography: Maria “Decida” Wahlberg. Photo: Laura Collada

My process as a director or, if you want to call it, a choreographer is always therefore co-creating whether it is with Robyn, other artists or dancers, but also with the field (#KurtLewin) - Pop Culture is a constant dialogue with the field, as in relevance. The social aspect is vibrant and foundational. Sometimes some of it disappears when the dance is put on piedestal, or stage, and studied.

Another way of speaking of this process is, the intelligence of the body before it is formed like a thought, a sentence actively.

Add, to this listening to the field, the intelligence of the body, a shared deeper intention and use it outside of the arts! It is a very useful tool to understand and make complex situations with many stakeholders visual for all the people involved. Step one, and two becomes clear - to all. 

Threshold (2020)

One way of working with this is called Social Presencing Theater (SPT). It is developed by Arawana Hiyashi at Presencing Institute in a dialogue with Otto Sharmer @ MIT and colleagues. So it’s both an awareness-based action research methodology for making social fields visible, and a tool for enabling deep systemic change, for individual, team, organizational, business and social transformation. 

The Book “Social Presencing Theater” (2021)

When adding this tool to my toolbox facilitating processes and open up hidden opportunities in groups ~ it’s like my own past and the present are coming together.  Now certificated & grateful, - the blessing of studying in the presence of such deep knowledge!