—
Stigma and status
Young people who become homeless
often face social stigma and isolation.
They also frequently grapple with
feelings of inadequacy and being
looked down upon by society. These
games provide a safe framework
within which to imaginatively explore
these themes.
—
Activity
Status walk
1
Nominate one person to be the
Facilitator. The remaining players
begin walking around the room in a
neutral fashion. Players may make eye
contact as they pass each other, but
may not interact in any other way.
2
The Facilitator chooses one player at a
time to become ‘low status’ by calling
their name. That player transforms
their movement to show that they are
now of a lower status than the rest of
the group. They are free to interpret
this direction however they wish.
3
The Facilitator gives each player the
opportunity to inhabit the low status
position before moving onto the next.
The activity ends when each player
has had a turn.
4
Discuss how it felt to be of lower
status than the rest of the group. How
did it affect your self-image and your
relationships with people you passed?
How did your body change?
—
Extention activity
The golden thread
1
Nominate one person to be the
Facilitator and divide the remaining
players into players and audience.
players form pairs (A and B) and stand
across the room facing their partners.
2
A and B imagine an invisible track
between them. For now, they may
only move forwards and backwards
along this track. Next, both A and B
imagine they are also connected by a
golden coil that contracts when they
move closer together and stretches as
they move apart. Without speaking,
players experiment with moving
together, imagining the golden coil
connecting them. Players should try
using different pace and movement,
but avoid creating characters or a
defined relationship.
3
The Facilitator now secretly assigns
each person conflicting intentions
(i.e. A loves B, but B wants to avoid
A). Players may now leave their track,
but remain connected by the golden
coil. Without speaking, they attempt
to achieve their respective goals as
they move freely around the space.
The activity ends when either player
succeeds in achieving their goal.
4
Reflect on the nature of the
connection between partners: how
did it feel? How was your physicality
affected? Discuss the ways players
demonstrated their intentions through
movement and how these were
interpreted by the audience.