”In the trainings I had a choice to participate or not, to play or be real. I always felt like something inside of me was growing up.”

These video excerpts were taken inside a rehearsal space at a refugee camp. The rehearsal hall allows students a safe space in which to explore artistic and cultural resistance through theatre and other art forms. We spent two weeks facilitating expressive arts workshops utilizing the tools of the Tamalpa Life/Art Process ®. International volunteers also partook in the workshops, building on the strong bonds of this unique group.

Prior to the development of their self-portrait performances, students participated in art, journaling and somatic activities. In particular, we worked with transforming the language of movement through repetition and tempo.

In the second video, the performers re-envisioned the hand-over-mouth gesture of being silenced to a powerful gesture of removing the hand that silenced them. Rather than being a performance, this work is an act of self-discovery, performed in the moment and witnessed by a supportive group of peers.