Faith CoLab: Tapestry of Faith: Building the World We Dream About: An Anti-racism Multicultural Program

Alternate Activity 1: Case Studies, Part Two

Activity time: 115 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Case studies as prepared for Workshop 20
  • Timepiece (minutes)

Description of Activity

Ask each of the four small groups formed in Workshop 20 to return to their designated spaces. Tell them they will have 15 minutes to refresh their memories about their work last time and rehearse their three- or four-minute skit.

After 15 minutes, bring the large group back together. Invite each small group in turn to present their skit for the large group, following this protocol adapted from Augusto Boal's Theater of the Oppressed:

  • Invite the group to first perform the skit from beginning to end, so the large group has a clear understanding of the issues involved.
  • Invite the group to perform the skit a second time. This time, encourage members of the audience to rewrite the skit using skills that promote fairness, equity, and justice. Explain that members of the audience should call out "Stop!" at any point where a different approach would better resolve the issue at hand and step into one of the performers' roles in order to play out the scenario differently. There may be several different replays of the skit, as the group works to figure out how to best apply their developing multicultural knowledge, skills, and competency.
  • After each suggested replay of the skit, lead a quick discussion with the whole group to see if the suggested skill/approach achieved the desired intent. If the group agrees the new approach did not work, invite the actors to start again with the original skit. Encourage another audience member to try their hand at dealing with the issue.
  • Repeat the skit as many times as necessary to achieve an antiracist/multicultural outcome.

After all four skits, lead a whole group discussion with these questions:

  • How would you evaluate the case study process?
  • Was each case study realistic for our congregation? Why or why not?
  • What about this scenario could actually happen at our congregation? Not happen?
  • Which of our practices promoted antiracist/multicultural strategies?
  • How did your emotions and personal experiences drive your behavior?
  • What did you anticipate happening that did not occur?
  • What happened that surprised you?
  • Where/how did we use our antiracist/multicultural skills?
  • What have we learned through these case studies that will help us work together in our congregation?

Encourage participants to hold on to their learnings and to write or journal about them before the next workshop.