We’ve been working with the Journey LGBT+ Asylum Group – a support group for LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
The project is a collaboration between Sampad, Birmingham LGBT and SHOUT Festival and the creative director of Pride Face is wellness facilitator Ash Mukherjee.
The Sessions
Ash met with the participants at one of their regular meetings and introduced some of the ideas and workshop subjects. These workshops included crafting, painting, mindfulness, physical activity, and games, expanding on crafting and gaming elements to teach mindfulness and emotional regulation.
As well as Ash there were two workshop leaders brought in to host guest sessions. Kierra Saunders, an artist based in Margate, worked with the group to create monster masks. Whilst focussing on the intricacies of crafting their own monster mask Ash was able to talk to each group member and create a persona for their monster. These personas took many forms, for some they were a reminder of hardship they had faced and for others they were a guardian angel figure that was there to protect them. Explored in a safe way Ash made sure to challenge the group’s ideas whilst being mindful of the difficult journey many of them have been on. The monsters became vehicles for the participants to speak through, providing them with a safe space to discuss as much or as little as they wanted to in relation to their story.
Darren Abrahams, vocal coach, therapist, and trauma specialist, led a key guest session on emotional regulation and being present. Darren’s work was centred on the MATES House diagram which depicts emotions as rooms in a house. The living room represents a calm mind/body state, the attic symbolises the fight response and the basement suggests your flight/freeze response. The activity carried out was a collaborative group painting on large rolled out sheets of paper, creating a map of their emotions. This was designed to enable freedom of expression and getting the group to think about non-verbal cues.
The sessions were the building blocks toward the sharing that Ash devised, showcasing what the group had learnt. A key lesson throughout these sessions was for members to stay consistent and to show up for each other as well as themselves. This paid off as attendance was generally very stable, especially as the performance date got closer.
For the sharing Ash directed the group in an hour long showcase, with presentation about the guest workshop leaders. Ash used the skills the group had been working on along with audio and visual assistance to create the final performance. Elements of acting, dancing, monologues and games were used in the show along with a display of the groups art work in the foyer as the audience entered the space.
Feedback
It gave me more light on how to overcome our difficult days. Our Saturday sessions are like mind therapy
Participant
After the sharing we reached out to those who participated and asked them to fill out feedback form. Data collected showed a positive response from all:
- ‘On a scale from 1 to 10 how engaged were you throughout the workshops’, 66% replied 10 and 33% replied 9.
- All participants answered yes to the questions ‘would you like more of the workshops in the future?’ and ‘would you recommend these workshops for others?’
- We asked participants what skills they had picked up, the answers were varied but the two common strands were ‘self-confidence’ and ‘controlling emotions’. Other comments included ‘improved communication’, ‘ways to manage nervousness’, and ‘how to celebrate pride on a daily basis’.
Yesterday’s session has impacted me in a way I never thought possible.
Participant
In conclusion, the feedback received highlights the effectiveness and relevance of the workshops in addressing participants’ needs for personal growth and development. The positive engagement levels and enthusiastic responses demonstrate the value of the activities provided and suggest a strong rapport between facilitators and participants.
Watch the video below to find out more about Pride Face:
Pride Face is back for 2024! Find out more here.
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