This is the first activity on diversability produced by the Drama for Youth Work project. This activity can be used as a warming up. You can find more activities on interculturality here.

DURATION

20 minutes

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

Between 9 and 15 participants.

MATERIALS

Stickers of 4 different colors and shapes, for example:

– Yellow circles

– Blue triangles

– Green stars

– Red squares.

And you will have a single sticker different from the others, for example: Fuchsia

PREPARATION

The facilitator will introduce the topic by saying:

We live in a world where each person is different from the previous one and many times they marginalize or despise those who have certain characteristics that the rest does not have. For example: some physical or mental disability; immigrants; those who don’t get good grades; etc.

To avoid this exclusion, we need to be aware that differences should not separate us. We will reflect on how we can eliminate the barriers that until now, we have naturally put to the inclusion of various people or groups.

LINK TO THE TOPIC

The idea of this activity being a starting point to discuss disabilities is that each person is given a sticker by chance. They don’t choose their sticker; one sticker is not better than the other. They are all equal in price, from the same pack. However, more of one colour is used and instead of the unique colour being explored for being unique, it is left aside. How quickly the participants choose to flock to what’s the same to them in physical appearance and don’t even think about what else a person has to offer. The stickers, therefore, represent the metaphor of labelling someone and not looking further into it. When we see someone with down syndrome for example, we immediately think that they aren’t capable of adult things, when in reality if we took a second to get to know them, we would realize that’s not always the case.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTIVITY

  • Raise awareness about differences.
  • Develop empathy for people who are excluded or excluded because they are apparently different.

DESCRIPTION

This activity will be divided into 3 parts:

1st part: 2 minutes

The facilitator will have stickers of 4 different colors and shapes, for example:

– Yellow circles

– Blue triangles

– Green stars

– Red squares.

And you will have a single sticker different from the others, for example: Fuchsia heart

The facilitator communicates that the participants are not allowed to speak and will place a sticker on each participant, without them seeing what sticker they have.

At the end of the distribution of stickers, only one person is left with a sticker different from the others.

2nd part: 5 minutes 

The facilitator will explain to the group that they must separate themselves into smaller groups. The participants do this.

3rd part: 13 minutes

The facilitator will give the participants permission to speak and ask the one who has been left out, what happened to them? How does it feel to be excluded?

The facilitator will also ask the large group what has been the criteria for grouping?

The facilitator will inform the group that at no time was it said that they had to make groups according to the sticker.

REFLECTION

In conclusion, we will analyze that people usually get together in groups according to the similarities and the different ones get left alone.

– When you feel excluded, who can you ask for help?

– What simple action, in your day to day, are you going to take to avoid behaving exclusively?