Masks

Right Side Up co-facilitated mask making sessions for a group of Yr 11 students in East Gippsland as part of their retreat camp.

Students were introduced to a variety of masks - cultural, religious, festive, disguises - and discussion centred on when and why such masks are used. Moving onto invisible masks we wear in our daily lives, students were encouraged to create a mask that expressed an aspect of themselves.

Participants then showed their masks in a small group and told the story or emotions behind it. The group was invited to reflect on each person's mask and share what it reminded them of, or how it made them feel.

The final session involved students laying their masks along a cross laid out on the floor. This was to symbolise reconciliation and a desire to live more authentically in the future.

My perfect world

Spent some time with a great group in the Yarra Valley today. The family focused activity provided by Right Side Up was to create a collage of "My perfect world".

Participants (parents and kids) were given 15 minutes to flip through magazines and find images or words that symbolised their perfect world. Then a further half hour to cut and paste, write, or draw as needed to create their own collage poster. On completion of their posters, each participant held up their poster to share the elements of their perfect world.

A brief discussion on how realistic their perfect world was, and what they could do to include elements of their perfect world into their lives now, helped participants further explore their creative expressions.

I am woman - see me draw!

Right Side Up presented a hands on art session during a women's conference in Sydney on August 13. The aim was for each participant to create an artwork that symbolised their source of strength as a woman in leadership.

A guided meditation helped the women relax and focus on their source of strength. They were then invited to create their own intuitive artwork using a selection of art materials provided. Once completed, those that wanted to shared with a partner about their artwork.



This was a large group, so the dynamics were slightly different than in the preferred smaller group settings RSU usually facilitates. However, participants expressed appreciation for the opportunity to get creative and think about themselves in a different way. The conference mainly consisted of lecture style presentations, so the opportunity to work with heart stuff instead of head stuff was reportedly a welcome relief for many.