Social Presencing Theater

Social Presencing Theater (SPT) is an embodied social arts-based change methodology, developed under the leadership of Arawana Hayashi, for making visible current reality and exploring emerging future possibilities. Social Presencing Theater reveals the wisdom in every social system and supports movement towards healthier futures.

SPT can reveal insights for individuals, team, organizations, and larger social systems. It is one of the most important and effective methods developed by the Presencing Institute. The practices have been used for over fifteen years in business, government, and civil society settings, in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the United States. This is not "theater" in the conventional sense, but uses simple body postures, movements, and spatial design to dissolve limiting concepts, to communicate directly, to access intuition, and to make visible both current realities, and the deeper–often invisible–leverage points for creating profound change.


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About Social Presencing Theater

SPT is a set of practices that synthesize embodied presence, movement theater, stillness, and dialogue. It is a Social Arts form that puts into action the creative potential of Theory U and presencing.

The word theater comes from the Greek thea, which means “a place for viewing.” Social Presencing Theater enables a team or community to collectively see and sense itself and to enact its emerging future. It is a creative process to enhance a client‘s capacity to see the whole system and to sense the qualities, patterns, and potential within the social relationships of a system.

To know more please watch this dialogue series between Arawana and Otto on the origin of SPT: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

spt-programs

Open Programs

Check open Social Presencing Theater programs around the globe, which are designed to deepen understanding of the practices and their application in day-to-day contexts.

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"Social Presencing Theater: The Art of Making a True Move"

This book is a journey into the origins, principles, and practices of an innovative social art form co-created by Arawana Hayashi and colleagues at the Presencing Institute. This embodiment practice deepens reflection and supports individual, team, organizational, and social transformation. This highly accessible book offers an introduction to newcomers and provides a deeper understanding of the work for experienced practitioners who wish to create powerful spaces for heart-based learning and action. The book addresses the origins and underlying principles of Social Presencing Theater, while containing practice instructions and stories that highlight its uses in companies, schools, and social projects. Social Presencing Theater invites us to tap into our natural creativity and ability to fully embody the "performance" of being human. Hayashi's intention with this work is to offer movement practices that support people in recognizing their own and others' embodied wisdom, compassion, and courage to act. In the face of today's enormous environmental, social, and spiritual challenges, we can become disconnected from the fundamental human goodness that lives in our presence. Social Presencing Theater invites us to make the true moves that are ours to make to create a society of brilliance, warmth, and strength.

Social Presencing Theater è un viaggio nelle origini e nei principi di un’innovativa forma d’arte sociale co-creata da Arawana Hayashi e dai colleghi del Presencing Institute del mit di Boston. Tale tecnica di apprendimento tramite l’embodiment consente di scorgere nuove prospettive d’azione nell’attuazione dei cambiamenti che si desidera intraprendere, non mediante la riflessione e il dibattito, bensì attraverso l’osservazione dell’intelligenza sensoriale e relazionale del proprio corpo. Le metodologie e istruzioni pratiche offerte da Arawana Hayashi – insieme ai tanti esempi che ne esplicitano l’applicazione in aziende, organizzazioni, scuole, istituzioni e progetti sociali – offrono un prezioso nuovo set di strumenti a chi già operi come change maker, change leader o change navigator sostenendo individui e comunità nel riconoscere la propria e altrui saggezza innata per poterne attingere un più fluido coraggio di agire. “Al centro di tutti i percorsi di cambiamento sistemico impostati sulla consapevolezza c’è qualcosa di semplice: uno spostamento nel luogo interiore dal quale operiamo: dalla testa al cuore, e dal cuore alla mano, cioè all’intero corpo o sistema. I metodi e gli strumenti del Social Presencing Theater forniscono una nuova grammatica sociale di cui abbiamo bisogno per decifrare e affrontare le nuove ondate di disruption che ci attendono nei prossimi decenni.” – Otto Scharmer, autore di Teoria U

Teatro da Presença Social – A arte de fazer um movimento verdadeiro" é uma jornada pelas origens, os princípios e as práticas de uma forma inovadora de arte social criada por Arawana Hayashi e seus colegas do Presencing Institute. De forma acessível, este livro convida o leitor a mergulhar em práticas enraizadas no corpo que aprofundam a reflexão e promovem a transformação baseada na consciência de indivíduos e sistemas sociais. A leitura proporciona uma introdução aos recém-chegados, bem como uma compreensão mais profunda do trabalho para profissionais experientes que desejam criar espaços poderosos para o aprendizado e a ação baseados no coração. O livro aborda as origens e os princípios subjacentes do Teatro de Presença Social, além de conter instruções práticas e histórias que destacam sua utilização em empresas, escolas e projetos sociais. O Teatro da Presença Social é hoje uma das ferramentas mais poderosas desenvolvidas pelo Presencing Institute, ao colocar a Teoria U em movimento, e tem sido aplicado com sucesso ao redor do mundo por mais de uma década. Ele nos ajuda a entender melhor como as pessoas e os grupos sociais interagem, funcionando como um espelho e revelando como as dinâmicas sociais podem afetar nosso bem-estar. Com essa compreensão, podemos tomar decisões mais saudáveis e autênticas para melhorar nossa qualidade de vida. "Arawana Hayashi é uma mestra. Ela inventou uma forma pela qual as pessoas aprendem a usar o corpo para explorar, individual e coletivamente, o que o intelecto nunca será capaz de captar por inteiro — as estruturas sociais complexas que nós humanos criamos e nas quais ficamos presos. Ela criou um veículo maravilhoso para orientar essa jornada." — Peter Senge, MIT e Center for Systems Awareness

Teatro de Presencia Social: El Arte de Hacer un Movimiento Verdadero es un viaje a los orígenes, principios y prácticas de una innovadora forma de arte social creada por Arawana Hayashi y sus colegas del Presencing Institute. Esta práctica de corporalidad profundiza en la reflexión y favorece la transformación individual, de equipo, organizativa y social. Este libro. muy accesible, ofrece una introducción a laspersonas que se inician en esta práctica y proporciona una comprensión más profunda del trabajo para profesionales con experiencia que deseen crear espacios poderosos para el aprendizaje y la acción basados en el corazón. El libro aborda los orígenes y los principios sobre los que se asienta el Teatro de Presencia Social y contiene instrucciones prácticas e historias que destacan sus usos en empresas, escuelas y proyectos sociales. El Teatro de Presencia Social nos invita a aprovechar nuestra creatividad natural y nuestra capacidad para expresar y sentir plenamente la "actuación" del ser humano. La intención de Hayashi con esta obra es ofrecer prácticas de movimiento que ayuden a las personas a reconocer su propia sabiduría y la de los demás, su compasión y su valor para actuar. Ante los enormes retos medioambientales, sociales y espirituales de hoy en día, podemos desconectarnos de la bondad humana fundamental que vive en nosotros. El Teatro de Presencia Social nos invita a dar los pasos necesarios para crear una sociedad brillante, cálida y fuerte.

在U型理論當中進入U型旅程的第二個階段共同感知(co-sensing) 時,奧圖博士會帶入一個新的方法,英文稱為 Social Presencing Theater ,過去在簡體中文版的 U型理論書籍裡被翻譯為「社會大劇院」。但因為這個方法論的主要創作者之一 Arawana Hayashi (中文名:雅若宛那.林)在去年將她過去15年在Social Presencing Theater 的發展脈絡,行動研究和實踐整理成這本書,根據書中詳細的論述,我們決定將其繁體中文正式稱為『社會流現劇場』。   社會流現劇場(Social Presencing Theater) 是由奧圖.夏默博士命名。社會(Social) 既是指社會身(Social body) ,即一群人在空間中的物理排列,又指社會場域(Social Field),即人與人之間關係的品質。自然流現(Presencing) 是關於覺察以及對於環境更廣的感知。劇場(Theater) 是指我們所做出可見的選擇(我們所做的)以及從這些選擇中創造的關係(我們所感知的)。這些選擇取決於我們集體覺知的層次,或社會的自然流現。   社會流現劇場是一種新興的社會藝術形式,透過融合社會行動研究、劇場、靜觀練習、刻意的靜默,生成式對話以及開放空間,來上演媒體所關注的事件,連結與不同的社群與他們的變革故事。並且讓系統看見並感知自身!   《真實的動—社會流現劇場》是一個探索社會藝術的起源、原則和實踐的旅程,由雅若宛那・林和自然流現研究院的同事所共同創造。這是本易於理解的書,邀請讀者投身於深度反思並支持以覺知為基底的個人和社會系統轉型的體現實踐。   「雅若宛那・林是一位大師。她發展了一種讓個人或集體都可以學習運用自己的身體去探索我們人類所創造以至於讓我們卡住的複雜社會結構,這是永遠無法用智力來理解的,她創造了一種奇妙的工具來引領這趟旅程。」—彼得・聖吉,MIT麻省理工學院&系統意識中心   「雅若宛那以清晰且輕快的故事讓我們以一種嶄新的方式同在——她帶領我們共同探索如何超越語言的合作,並且更加的臨在與覺察我們周遭的世界,感知正在湧現的未來。」- 艾琳・費雪,艾琳費雪公司創辦人

Studio spaces for creating social art prototypes

 

Please see Ricardo Dutra Goncalves and Arawana Hayashi’s chapter titled “A Studio-Based Practice for Future-Making” in the Routledge Handbook for Creative Futures. The chapter emphasizes the importance of studio spaces where people can gather to create social art prototypes – practices, performances, projects, and products that contribute to a healthy and sane future. The Kindle version of the book is available on amazon.

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spt-tools

Practices

20 Minute Dance

A mindfulness of body practice. It enhances the ability to synchronize body and mind by noticing the mind's habit of wandering and supporting groundedness in the present.

Explore the Practice

Stuck Exercise

This is the main technique of Social Presencing Theater. It is a process by which one experiences the essence of the U journey by moving from Sculpture 1 (current reality) to Sculpture 2 (emerging future).

Explore the Practice

4D Mapping

4D mapping makes visible the current reality in a social system, such as a school system, and reveals how embodied sensing and knowing can lead to fresh outcomes.

Explore the Practice

Meditation

Embodiment practice led by Arawana.

Explore

spt-cards

SPT Cards

The SPT Aesthetic Language Cards support reflection and deeper insight into how we create a social fabric of relationships by the choices we make. To describe our more subtle experiences, we need fresh language. This card deck offers 36 cards to guide conversations that deepen collective sense-making and support the application of embodied learning insights into everyday work and life situations.
Developed by Arawana Hayashi and Ricardo Dutra. Cards are available at the Presencing Institute in the USA only. 

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meet-teams

Meet The Teams

Arawana Hayashi and Manish Srivastava currently head the creation of Social Presencing Theater for the Presencing Institute and its u-school for Transformation. Laura Pastorini heads SPT in Latin America. Angela Baldini oversees all of the SPT programs offered by u-school. They are also Core Faculty of u-school. Sebastian Jung heads SPT Research and Development. Working with Otto Scharmer, they bring their background in the arts, meditation, and organizational/social change to creating “social presencing” that makes visible both current reality and emerging future possibilities for individuals and groups.

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Program Faculty Offerings

Nov 22, 2024
Immersion in 4D Mapping
Daniela Ferraz
In Portuguese
São Paulo, Brasil

Nov 30-Dec 1, 2024
SPT Basics Fall 2024
Dirk Bräuninger
In German
Die Halle, Frankfurt, Germany

Dec 6-7, 2024
SPT Les Fondamentaux (SPT Basics)
Agathe Peltereau-Villeneuve
In French
Paris, France

Dec 4-7, 2024
The Poetry of the Body
An experiment at the crossroads of SPT and embodied poetry
Men-only group
With Manish Srivastava & Peter Hofmann

Dec 28-29, 2024
U Corpo (SPT Basics)
Vasco Gaspar
In Portuguese
Porto, Portugal

Apr 12-13, 2025
SPT Basics Spring 2025
Dirk Bräuninger
In German
Alfter, Germany

Jul 19-20, 2025
SPT Summer Workshop 2025
Dirk Bräuninger
In German
Frankfurt, Germany

Sep 13-14, 2025
SPT Extended Autum 2025
Dirk Bräuninger
In German
Alfter, Germany

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practice-groups

SPT Practice Groups Worldwide

SPT practice groups are self-organized opportunities for peer-learning and sharing. New groups are continuously opening.

Vienna, Austria

Peter Hofmann

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Vorarlberg, Austria

Johanna Gall

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Bolzano, Italy

Katherina Longariva

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Firenza, Italy

Marina Seghetti

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Sintra, Portugal

Rita Venturini

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Cologne, Germany

Dirk Bräuninger

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Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Mariëlle Slierenderecht

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Paris, France

Agathe Peltereau-Villeneuve

Contact
Norre Snede, Denmark

Ninni Sodhal

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Berlin, Germany

Manuela Bosch

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Barcelona, Spain

Frank Nesi

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Lisbon, Portugal

Vasco Gaspar

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Feldkirch, Austria

Sifu Günter König and Isabelle Goller

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Lusaka, Zambia

Aggie Kalunga-Banda

Contact

Pune, India

Manish Srivastava | https://sacredwell.in/author/speaktomanu/

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Shanghai, China

Tess He

Contact

Montevideo, Uruguay

Laura Pastorini

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Neuquén, Argentina

Sonia Laura Mora

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Bariloche, Argentina

Patricia Scott

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Santiago de Chile, Chile

Vibiana Galdames

Contact
Montevideo, Uruguay

Daniela Martinez

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Ciudad de la Costa, Uruguay

Laura Pallares

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Cochabamba, Bolivia

Carla Bazoalto

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Caracas, Venezuela

Ilse Gómez

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Lima, Peru

Vania Benel

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Bogotá, Colombia

Maria del Rosario Montejo

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Lima, Peru

José Francisco Ramo

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Sao Paulo, Brazil

Daniela Ferraz

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Northeastern, USA

Madeline Kennedy

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New York, NY, USA

Heather Huggins

Contact
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Ilse Gómez

Contact
Montreal, Quebec

Mark Hollingworth

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Boston, MA, USA

Till Cremer & Katherine Foo

Contact
Hudson Valley, NY

Andrea Frank

Contact

Movalogue Online Group

Dirk Bräuninger

More info
Virtual SPT Peer Group

Shannon Rabas

Contact
Open Field U

Vasco Gaspar

Contact
North America Practice Group

Judy Tso

Contact
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