Listening worlds

1. Introduction (10 mins): Explain the purpose of the activity (exploring listening as a form of fostering empathy). Ask the participants what ‘listening’ means to them.
2. What’s your soundtrack? (30-45 mins): Each participant introduces him/herself by playing a part of a song that represents them. They have up to 2-3 minutes to explain why they chose this song, in which way it is important for them and so on. It’s important to let the song be played first for some time and then when the person starts talking it gets turned down as a background soundtrack. The facilitator goes first to set the pace.
3. Stop ’n’ go (20 mins): Participants walk freely around the room while the facilitator plays music. Whenever the music pauses, they must freeze; when it resumes, they continue moving. After a few rounds, encourage participants to shift from walking to moving more freely or dancing. At this point, they can decide for themselves whether to move or stay still when the music plays or stops—adding up the concentration and listening.

VARIATION: If the group feels comfortable, you can add a task where participants form trios with the people nearest to them when the music stops, placing their hands on each other’s shoulders. At each stop, the facilitator gives a question for them to discuss within their trio. These can range from light and simple (‘The first thing I thought when I woke up this morning was…’ or ‘What was the last concert you attended?’) to more personal reflections (‘One thing I like about myself is…’ or ‘My best friend inspires me because…’). When the round is over, the people in the trio have to turn their backs to each other and when every trio is finished, the music is played again until the next stop with new groups’ combinations.

4. The sound of silence (15 mins): The participants form a cluster and are close to each other as much as they are comfortable. If someone is uncomfortable with standing close to the others or gets overwhelmed, they can leave the circle and stand a bit apart. If they want, they can rejoin the circle when they feel like it. They close their eyes, and the facilitator leads them through an exercise of listening. It is pointed out that listening extends beyond simply hearing, it is a method of perception that is both attentive and receptive, seeking what is not readily apparent and valuing uniqueness and diversity. The participants are invited to fine tune their ears and senses through physical and bodily approaches, exploring the sounds and senses that are coming and going. They listen to their own breath and the breathing of others, the sensations of the clothes on their skin, the smells and sounds that might come from close or from far, from within and even outside the room or building. Towards the end, the facilitator encourages them to gradually start to create some sounds like humming and progressively making it louder, they open their eyes and move around the room, continuing to make the collective sound, until they find a collective end.
5. Musical shower (20 min) – The facilitator points out that musical showers are very popular and asks the group if they will be willing to make a shower of their own. Everyone chooses a sound they find soothing and try it out as a group, making changes if needed. Then the facilitator asks them to make a close-knit circle (they can hug if comfortable) and asks for volunteers to stand in a circle. They can close their eyes. When they want, they can leave and ask for somebody else to take their place. Keep this up from 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Reflection and evaluation (15 min): At the end, participants sit in a circle and briefly reflect on how they feel and how the exercise was for them. The group discusses listening and what it means to them.

Reflection Questions:

• • • How did the activities make you feel?
    • What did you discover about listening? Did your understanding or perception of listening shift through these activities? How?
    • How did it feel to be listened to—or to listen in a different, more intentional way?

For evaluation, observe participant engagement and their willingness to share. Collect feedback verbally or via a quick survey.