- stevelynchy
FINDING YOUR VOICE
Updated: Aug 26, 2019
Steve's personal journey with Refugee Voices on the road to confidence and happiness
Practice session at Maison de Désert, Lausanne
"One of the best experiences of my life, thank you all"
How It All Began
#diversity #inclusion #personalgrowth #confidence #migrant
For the past few months, I have been attending weekly drama classes! If you had said that I would be doing this - and enjoying it before I went, I would have been very sceptical!
The classes are run by Lucy Antrobus, who I first met when she participated to the social impact awards in Geneva. I was impressed by the passion and conviction she showed that night in giving a voice to refugees.
Lucy kindly invited me along to sample the classes, taking place at the impact hub in Lausanne. We start with warm up exercises for the body and voice and cover topics such as confidence in storytelling, conveying emotions, oral poetry and sensory perceptions.
Attending the sessions, I am struck by the unique bond between participants, coming from very diverse backgrounds and countries. The courage of telling their stories in a dignified way and helping each other, it is a positive and warm atmosphere where everyone can grow and learn in a safe space.
There is naturally some self-consciousness that one needs to overcome, but when you are asked, for example to act as a baby walking in high heels, any embarrassment quickly dissipates! The classes show that non-verbal communication is really important in conveying a story. It is something that you read (apparently 80% of communication is non-verbal), but seeing it in practise is illuminating!
Hope for the Future
I have found the classes something I am really looking forward to each week. I know it is having a positive impact on my interactions and confidence, you are never too old to change!
A Happy Ending
I recently met a colleague from my previous career after more than 13 years in Geneva. She was surprised by my comportment. “You have changed… you act almost like an Italian”. I take that as a big compliment 😊