S O M A

Coming to London SE5 Autumn 2007

SOMA is a series of 12 sessions/experiences using body games to create a group dynamic, inspired by principles of self-organisation and solidarity. Working in groups is one of the biggest challenges in our competitive and individualistic society, even among artists and activists fighting against it. How could we live in a more collaborative way? This course aims to use the SOMA process to create a group dynamic that will encourage participants to work together towards an artistic/activist outcome.

When Roberto Freire created ‘SOMA – an anarchist therapy’ in Brazil, more than thirty years ago, he was looking for therapeutic methodologies that could help people emotionally who were fighting against the military dictatorship. Changing therapy into experiment, we have turned the SOMA (which means ‘totality of being’ in Greek) approach away from an emphasis on neurosis (we have something wrong) towards the gaining of skills (we can learn something new). In this sense, SOMA seeks to inspire skills to build horizontal relationships, skills that can transform the way we perceive the world, re-building the body, its dwelling and livelihood.

The SOMA process creates an environment in which the consensus decision making process starts in each participant’s body, mind, emotions and feelings. This approach breaks the traditional rational way to develop skills, where the mind is split from the body, the individual removed from its surroundings. SOMA games are proposals to play in a group - sharing experiences of collaboration, trust and responsibility. It’s this group dynamic created by SOMA games that stimulate the whole being to engage with the world. After the games, the participants will feedback, talking about their perceptions and behaviour playing together. The games and talks will be the material to work with later, triggering the creative process for the final part of the course.

The body is the material to work with: movement, perception and contact with each other to dare to be creative in everyday life. Play is a way to rediscover the body, just as collaboration helps to rediscover relationships.

Facilitator:
Jorge Goia has been a Soma practitioner since completing his training in 1993 with Roberto Freire, the Brazilian psychologist who created ‘Soma – an anarchist therapy’ in the 1970s. He has coordinated Soma groups in many cities in Brazil over a 10 year period, and since March 2004, he’s coordinated Soma groups in England, Scotland, Germany and Spain. Goia has a PhD in Social Psychology for which he researched the changes that Soma and Capoeira (a Brazilian martial art used in some Soma exercises) can make to individuals and groups. He is currently a Research Associate in the Brazilian and Portuguese Studies department at King’s College, University of London. Goia is currently holding a series of Soma workshops in Limehouse Town Hall, and hopes to offer a second series in South London early 2007.

Course details:
Venue: TBC (Camberwell area)
Time: Wednesday evenings from 7pm – 10pm
Dates: 10 consecutive weeks from January 24th to March 28th 2007
With 2 additional sessions on a weekend agreed with the group
Cost: £100 Full Price / £75 Concession

If you’d like to know more before committing, come to one of the introductory workshops:
Wednesday 13th December Introductory workshop #1 (£7 full /£5 concession)
Wednesday 17th January Introductory workshop #2 (£7 full /£5 concession)

Contact:
email: jorge.goia@bol.com.br telephone: 07758224334