Mark Jackson, LWC Community Development and Diversity Trainer Worker.

I have been working for LWC as a part time worker for the last year. In this time I have delivered a series of Training Days on Participatory Methodologies to Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and Local Community Members in Kensington and beyond.

The idea behind the methods is to bring a learning process to groups that allow both the participants and the trainer to learn about issues from each other. The Participatory Methods demonstrate a way of working that is both creative and arts based. This allows for most sections of the community to participate. Whether they have high literacy or language levels or not.

The key to learning is that we create a safe environment for people to share their ideas and knowledge and for participants to share their ideas, visions and understandings with each other. This allows for participants to come to collective solutions for problems or issues.

The Methods we have delivered so far are: Popular Education, Training for Transformation, Forum Theatre, Philosophy for Children and Snapshot Visioning. They all use art and drama techniques and inventive ways of introducing issues to people in order to create a critical awareness in participants. Issues dealt with have been, poverty, racism, global perspectives in schools, immigration, bullying and the environment.

The next stage is to offer more training in the above methods supporting and mentoring participants to deliver workshops in schools, youth clubs and community settings.