Stories of Our Work
Workshops and facilitation
We have facilitated 110 workshops since the beginning of 2020 and team processes for 1700 number of participants. From open workshops to workshops for self-organised groups, organisational teams and university students. From one-off workshops to series of several workshops in the same organisations.
Here are two stories of the impact of our workshops and facilitation.
Institut for (X)
A culture, business and education platform in Aarhus, Denmark.
Over the course of a year we offered a series of empowerment workshops for women, a workshop on reimagining masculinity for men, and facilitated a workshop-discussion on the democratization process of the board of Institut for (X).
The workshops created a feeling of strong companionship among those who participated, yet because of our organisational structure and ways of engaging with one another this also had a spill-over effect on the larger community and our processes and relationships.
The environment in the administration has become deeper, more emotional. This came from a higher awareness of our different experiences, a change in language, and an understanding of what is important in a workspace. That we come here together as whole humans, not just co-workers. This brought us back to the intention that the platform was started with in the beginning - being and doing things together in a connected way.
We are now having three times more co-worker talks focused on learning, growing and needs, and the talks have become more honest and emotional, which creates a deeper sense of belonging. The collaboration also changed things structurally, for example, it brought our awareness to the gender pay gap in our administration and we have started to equalize it.
Mads Peter Laursen, daily leader of Institut for (X).
“I am the leader of useful art for communities (UAC), and artist and activist based in Institut for x. I have participated in several workshops for women facilitated by new visions and found them inspiring and highly important to connect with the women around my area of work/life, creating a sense of community and belonging while embracing diversity and learning resilience! It has been a beautiful experience for us to grow together, for the future we want as a women!”
“The workshops I have participated in have had impact on many different types of life situations - be it personal, at work, societal, and in some sense spiritual. This space has given me emotional support, especially in terms of acceptance, learning that it is okay and normal to think or feel certain ways about life and/or people, being a woman - and a being in general. I feel my bonds to my colleagues and friends have become more authentic, and the workshops have given me some necessary tools of communication, through words and body language.”
HDK-Valland
Academy of Art and Design at University of Gothenburg
We offered a one-day workshop “Social Innovation for Equity” and 1:1 consultancy for a group of students at the Embedded Design master's program. The workshop focused on exploring power structures and their effect on project development, and offered tools and approaches to designing solutions to social challenges in a more equitable way.
Liene and Agnieszka from new visions conducted an engaging, embodied, reflective and distance-learning workshop titled “Social Innovation for Equity” with the Embedded Design master’s students from the University of Gothenburg. The workshop, within the course, ”Design Practise in a Public Context,” created a possibility to invite these two critical thinkers/astute practitioners of working with these complex social issues in achievable and inspiring ways. The students ate up the workshop’s content and the ability of these two facilitators to deliver experiences where each participant can begin the work of understanding the terminology, the forming and reforming of the needed values while enlisting the hope for a more equitable future, was inspiring. They also delivered an embodied example of practice and an example of how to design / facilitate workshops with the topic of power in an institutional context – they showed us what to do and, even, how to do this hard work. All of which created a layered experience for these students to be influenced by and, even, to emulate in their own ways and future practices.
Samantha Hookway, Design Educator at the Academy of Arts and Design, University of Gothenburg.
“It was a super inspirational and reflective workshop that more than exceeded my expectations. I loved how even though it was digital it included all our senses and allowed to experience the practices. We covered a lot in a short time, yet it never felt stressful. ”
“It met all my expectations and even more. It was surprising in many aspects. I especially liked the exercise that invited to reflect on power - what power is harmful, when can I give up power etc., and mapping the ecological portrait of our project. It was a great experience and I really appreciate the whole day we got to spend with you. Thank you for making it clear and inclusive and making us feel welcome. ”
Consultancy for Organisational Change
As part of longer collaborations with organisations and companies, we offer a combination of different services with the aim of fostering broader systemic change in the organisations.
We conduct surveys and in-depth interviews, focusing on the experiences of minorities in the organisations to understand the current challenges and spaces where change is most urgently needed. We design change-roadmaps with suggestions and steps towards a more inclusive and equitable organisational culture. We offer 1:1 consultancy for people who are responsible for implementing the changes, and conduct tailored workshops for different members of the organisation.
Here is a story from one of our partners.
Futurice
Finland based international digital engineering and consultation company
new visions was our partner for two years as our 600 person organisation started its efforts to become more inclusive, equitable and diverse.
They designed two in-depth audits of our employees to help us understand the areas for improvement, and truly frame the challenges for those who were unable to see. They educated 100 of our leaders in 3 countries in Inclusive approaches. They have been key sparring partners along the way for those of us leading the change: challenging and coaching us as we navigate forward.
As a software consultancy, we often talk about “build, measure, learn.” new visions helped us to continuously improve our organisation: build a better culture, measure the effects of the changes we have made, in order to learn about how we can build even better as we go forward.
The strong foundation new visions helped us to build led to working more systematically with these challenges. They enabled us to create a path forward, equipping us with tools, perspectives and a hopeful approach. Their depth of knowledge and experience and mindful and humane approach made all the difference for us.
Lindsay Tingstrom, former creative director and part of Equity Taskforce at Futurice
TAIGA
TAIGA is a transformational leadership program for women from Eastern Europe working in arts and culture.
In 2021 we launched our first pilot program, inviting eight cultural leaders from Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine to participate in a 3 month digital edition “microTAIGA”
“I have never before experienced better flow in any other program facilitated online. Taiga gave me a new, fresh perspective on work that I am doing as a cultural leader of a group of 10 passionate people at FEUM. FEUM is An association for Electronic Underground Music, based in Aarhus, Denmark.
TAIGA influenced my work in FEUM in a way that allowed myself to distance and approach all the schematics with a new perspective, with a more open head.
It brought an openness to more mindful intentions in the workflow. TAIGA program helped to step out of the comfort zone and appreciate the process with all the ups and downs.
Wide range of educational materials and exercises was impressive with its selection.
TAIGA is special, interdisciplinary and beautiful. Amazing form connecting the topics of nature in us and around us.”
“TAIGA stirred up many things that I was/was not aware about and made me think about them deeper and think what is important for me / what I should/can do/implement in my life. It gave some good pushes, lifted the confidence, cannot await to blend them more in practices.
I feel richer with different experiences and knowledge. I took a lot from the program. I have become more aware of the processes both inside and outside of me, I have gained more confidence, I feel more free to tell my opinion, to create it and express it. I have got tools to improve my life and life of others I am connected with. I learned the ease of approach.
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