Train the Trainers

This workshop consisted of two all-day sessions. In the first session, participants went through a series of exercises, games and techniques from our previous Rehearsals for Change workshop (see Rehearsals for Change Toolkit), emphasizing key aspects of facilitation such as giving clear and precise instructions, demonstrating the activities with the help of volunteers, and asking participants if they have any questions before starting.

In the second session, one or two participants at a time were invited to act as facilitators for each of the activities so that we could practice and discuss the challenges of being a facilitator. For example: the importance of being who you are as a facilitator rather than conforming to a particular way of facilitating; giving clear and precise instructions but always leaving room for choice, because “Theater of the Oppressed is all about participants having a choice;” and inviting (not telling) participants to do something, so that they decide what they can and cannot do. In these two sessions, we hoped to begin transferring some tools from TO to participants of the ZCMP. “The idea of Train the Trainers,” as Sanchez said, “is for you to be leading these workshops in whatever place you feel they need to be done.”