Wild Genius
NAVIGATORS—Facilitator Training
BEGINNING
A recommended beginning is to organize a three day residential grief ritual. Alternately, an immersion in story and myth will also be a good start. About 5 local people should be quite committed to helping with local research, networking, and preparation—there will probably need to be 20 people present to break even.
It is best if people stay on site, and best if the food is catered to allow concentrating on the process.
If you "sign on" to be a local host, the effort of responsibilities should be more than matched by the behind-the-scenes training value in preparation meetings (on zoom or phone as needed).
“Opportunity does not waste time with those who are unprepared.”
Idowu Koyenikan
PREPARE
Find a few people who are interested in making a training happen and who are willing to help with organising locally. Let's set up a meeting!
Before that meeting, consider:
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Location options
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Catering possibilities
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Accommodation options
Location
Here are some attributes of an ideal location. Very few places match all of these wish list items perfectly.
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hall big enough for 30 people to move around in
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exclusive use of venue as needed
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early access for set up and appropriate clean up
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kitchen for food preparation
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nature outside the hall
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ability to make noise (grief rituals can be loud)
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natural water near
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fireplace or outdoor (when allowed)
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privacy (window covers)
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parking
Catering
It is possible to share the cooking among participants, but much better if a skilled cook familiar with purchasing is able to be engaged.
For a group of 20 to 40, a knowledgable cook will spend a full day between planning and purchasing, and for a 3 day event, from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon (6 meals) will be full time for those three days. In other words, their contract cost should allow for 4 full days payment.
Food costs can easily average $10 or more per meal, and clever shopping for meat and local ingredients is a great asset.
Accommodation
Storytelling, with a focus on introducing ritual understandings of welcome and exile, life purpose and inner authority, grief and praise, ancestors and hungry ghosts, transformation and change.
Requirements
Preparation time 4 to 8 weeks recommended
A main host who is able to:
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host the facilitator for a few days
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provide accommodation and some transportation
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be the key local contact person for the event
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do initial reach out to hubs to invite participants
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find 2 other people to participate in—
30 minute zoom meeting for planning
finding a location or venue
promotion
set up and clean up
Location or Venue
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15 to 40 participants
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Approximately 2 square meters per participant
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The noise of drumming and singing permissible
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Access to the room 1 hour early and 1 hour after event
Ticket price
Approximately $40 CAD | $40 AUD|£25 | €25
Children allowed, usually yes.
One day or multi day events
A full day or weekend holds the opportunity to work with the same ritual topics as noted above. Welcome and exile, life purpose and inner authority, grief and praise, ancestors and hungry ghosts, transformation and change might each be a focus of a gathering, while not excluding the other topics.
Requirements
Preparation time 8 to 16 weeks recommended
All of the above points apply, with appropriate extensions.
Helpers
The main host might have 4 rather than only 2 helpers. There might be a few more zoom meetings. Every event that is a day or weekend long is bespoke, custom created.
Date and Venue
The main thing determining the success of an event is to set a date with a confirmed venue. Without this in place it is impossible to orchestrate the invitations in time, allowing those who want to attend the chance to arrange their personal schedules.
Food and accommodation
These two areas require very good organization.
For a day long event, lunch can be "Bring Your Own." Likewise, the evening meal can be a potluck or catered.(Food needs to be labeled for allergies of course).
For a weekend event, for this style of work, it is best to have an experienced cook deliver omnivore cuisine that is hearty and good quality. The idea of cooking together of course has its benefits, but also has the problem that it can distract from the process of the work itself. An experienced cook can handle just around 20 participants. And the participants will always be helping with cleaning dishes.
Accommodation can be simple, even possibly as simple as tenting. Expensive venues raise the cost for participation.
The main difference in a day long or weekend long event is that the needs for the style of venue go up. It is important to have an indoor working area that is warm enough and has room to move. The minimum area is around 4 square meters per person. Ideally, a dream location and venue includes the following:
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out of town, not too far
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kitchen well equipped for needs of event
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allowed to make noise
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indoor fireplace
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outdoor natural water
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trees and nature around
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privacy and having the venue private, not shared with other event
It is also good if 1 or 2 skilled Jembe drummers can be successfully invited to participate.
