Fall Workshop

On Friday September 25th, 2009 artist Wayne Dunkley will be running a workshop in Toronto, Ontario Canada entitled “SHAREYOURWORLD: Difference & Otherness In A Postmodern World. In this workshop for artists, helping professionals, and anyone else interested in the subjects of difference and otherness participants will experience a day of examining these subjects through art, discourse, reflection and experiential activities. Don’t miss what promises to be a day of finding greater awareness and wisdom about difference and otherness.

Sponsored by the Harry A. & Rose Getz Foundation and the Toronto Art Therapy Institute.


Wayne Dunkley’s Approach to the Diversity Conversation

Dunkley facilitates the creation of safe spaces for meaningful conversations. These spaces are found in the “real”, imagined or online worlds. They combine wonder and contemplation with personal and public engagement. The perceived safety of these contexts facilitates the revelation of “otherness” residing within each of us.

As we explore “otherness” together Dunkley facilitate numerous conversations, one of which is a diversity dialogue. He situates the diversity dialogue within the larger sphere of existence and being. This creates a very different diversity conversation than the one normally heard. Dunkley believes when we share common feelings of “otherness” the possibility exists to cast an inclusive vision of community centred not in past mistakes or present guilt but in future possibilities.

Dunkley believes that the power dynamic in the diversity dialogue can become skewed. Vested interests subvert a movement towards creating common ground. Fear, guilt and shame are aspects that are subtly or not so subtly employed to invert the existing power structures. This however, simply perpetuates the past, with those once marginalized now marginalizing others. He believes it is well past time to move beyond adversarial modes of being.

When we pursue common ground in an authentic fashion we have the possibility of forming new models for the diversity conversation. When we acknowledge the fear of our own “otherness” we begin a new journey. This is along the path of empathy, the primary feature of sustainable inclusive community.


Experiencing Otherness In the Workshop

Through conversation and hands-on methods Dunkley will facilitate a context where participants can engage their own otherness. In addition to large and small group interaction, participants in the workshop will have opportunity to create their own portrait posters. Participants’ posters will then be placed in the community similar to the process of the artist’s award winning web artwork entitled the degradation and removal of the/a black male. This part of the workshop day provides a practical context for our reflection on otherness.


SHAREYOURWORLD

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2009

East York Civic Centre

Council Chambers

Toronto, Ontario CANADA

9:00 am – 4:00 pm

8:15-9:00 Registration

Workshop fee: $100.00

Student with valid ID:  $75.00.

TO REGISTER

Call 416-924-6221