Workshop Structure - Iterated

Identi-tee

Ice Breaker - Whole Group

Everyone in the group introduces themselves and shows the group an item they have bought with them, the item is to be something they love, this can be anything, or an image of anything.  At the end I try to go round and remember everyone's name and their favourite thing...

(5 mins)

Warm-up - Pairs

In pairs, the young people must say 1, 2, 3, back and forth within the pair.

Person A) - 1
Person B) - 2
Person A) - 3
Person B) - 1
Person A) - 2
Person B) -3
...
etc...

Then Person A) replaces 1 with their name, Person B) replaces 2 with their name and together they come up with a noise instead of saying 3 e.g. clicking fingers, clapping etc.

At the end of this discuss how their names just become sounds once repeated this many times, and so what do their names actually mean to them, what does it say about them?  Ask them what they think my name says about me, what assumptions do they make?

(5/10mins)

Who am I? - Whole group

As a group we discuss what they understand by the word Culture and the word Identity.  I write the ideas down for the group.

Discuss how people's self image can be influenced by other people.

Talk to the group about ethnicity and nationality, do they understand the difference, how do they see themselves.  Discuss how complex this can be, and the problems that can arise if you try to label people.

Finally ask the group to shout out elements that they feel make up their identity e.g. family, friends, interests, ethnicity, appearance, beliefs, values, choices etc.

(10mins)

Break/Quick game - Whole group

Give each person a post-it note and pen, explain they have 30 seconds to draw a picture of themselves on it.  Give them 30 seconds.  Stop them and then share with the group, discuss who different everyone's picture is, some people will have drawn their faces, their bodies, discuss how everyone sees themselves differently and how we all interpret instructions differently.  

(5mins)

Soap Life - Small groups

Each group is given a soap opera name, Eastenders, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale etc.  They are asked to discuss in a group the cultural values reflected in the soap.  Do they reproduce the cultural norms and values of our society? Ethnicity, age, sexuality, attitudes towards crime and violence etc.

(10mins)

Break/Quick game - Small groups

Mix the groups up again, give them each a pile of magazines and speech bubble post it notes.  Each group is to look through the advertisements, and examine one of the following topics: how men's grooming products are associated with toughness, how women's products are associated with femininity or how age is treated in our culture.  Use the bubble post its to write remarks on the people in the adverts about what they are portraying.  Share with the group.  Guide the discussion on why these messages are set this way, what it means and how they feel about them.

(5/10mins)

10 Things you love - Whole group individually

Hand out worksheets, then ask the group to list 10 things they love, these can be people, objects, belongings, food, music, anything...

(5mins)

Brand Identity - Whole group collectively 

Show the group the brand alphabet, see how many they recognise.  Discuss how brands have an identity and what do they associate with some of these brand identities?  Apple, cool, IBM boring etc

(5mins - optional exercise depending on length of workshop)

Visual Communication - Small groups

Give each small group an image and ask them to tell a story about what they see happening in the image.  Discuss how an image can speak a thousand words, and how emotions and feelings can come across through images.  Present back to the group and get feedback.

(10mins - optional exercise depending on length of workshop)

Hopes, Dreams, Aspirations - Whole group

Together the group creates a kite or a mobile, to which they each tie their hopes, dreams and aspirations to.

(10mins)

Main Activity : Identi-tee - Whole group individually

Each person to create a T-shirt that visually and externally represents their sense of self, their communities, families, hopes, dreams and aspirations.   Provide all the necessary equipment, materials, help and support.  Show example T-shirts created by other creatives, discuss the elements they see.  Begin session and ensure everyone is spoken to individually to help with progress. 

 (45mins)

Share work - whole group

Reflect and discuss together


(5mins) 

Clarify achievements - whole group


What have we achieved, what skills have we built? Everyone to say one thing they have done in the session they are proud of.  

(2-5mins)

Feedback

Ask the group to give feedback on which exercises they enjoyed and why, and what ones could be changed etc.  

(2-5mins)

Total length - can be split over 2 sessions

Short workshop - 2 hours

Long workshop - 2.5 hours