WORKSHOPS

Throughout the year, I had the opportunity to organise some workshops around subjects and techniques that interest me.

I started in November with a Voice & Sound Exploration workshop, where quite a lot of people joined us, much more than I expected. Together, we explored our voices and, through improvisation, created a soundscape that started in one shape and ended in a completely different one. It was fascinating because, whenever I closed my eyes, I could imagine different scenarios or narratives in which this soundscape or music could exist.

The next workshop was Candle Making, and it was the moment when I experienced the most anxiety throughout this entire project. Until the day before, I was completely calm. And then suddenly I realised: “Wait a minute… I’m not going to make a candle. I’m going to teach people how to make a candle!” I was supposed to know exactly what I was doing, and, actually, I didn’t. So yes, the whole situation was quite tense for me. When you are leading something, the answers are supposedly expected to come from you. That also means that the attention is on you. Having all these children and parents waiting for me to tell them what the next step was felt quite scary.

But looking back at it from a distance, I think: “Wow, okay. These people trust me to do this, even though they know almost nothing about me. So let’s just pretend we know what we’re doing!”

Luckily, the workshop went well, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. As the workshop progressed, I could see the children becoming more involved in decorating and creating their candles. My tension slowly disappeared, and I was finally able to relax.

So perhaps the lesson I took from this experience is: don’t propose something you know nothing about. Or do propose but be prepared for a very tense and stressful time!

The Mandala Weaving workshop was the one I felt most prepared and comfortable for. However, it was also the workshop with the fewest participants. In the end, this was not necessarily a bad thing, because it allowed me to give more attention to each person, something I really enjoy.

Through all these workshops and the weekly classes I taught, I gradually realized that what fascinates me most is teaching in a more personalized way.

Every child and every adult have their own learning rhythm, their own abilities, and their own way of understanding and performing a task. A way of teaching that works perfectly for one person may not work at all for another.

Having a smaller group allowed me to stay closer to each participant, understand their individual challenges, and have the time to observe, analyze, and find the best way to help them overcome those challenges. I think this is one of the most valuable things I am taking from this experience: teaching is not only about sharing what you know. It is also about learning how each person learns.