November 6^th → 10^th , 2023

MELBOURNE
Australia

PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
DELL’ ARTE

The Mimodynamic of the Psyche

Joan Miro’ : Constellation (1941)

A playful and embodied exploration
of Psychological Types

This workshop emerges at the fertile edge between Physical Theatre and Gestalt Therapy. It dives into the richness of Psychopathology with the tools of movement theatre and play, in a poetic journey of transformation and transposition of Personality Disorders into Physical Comedy.

The Greek word psyche means soul and pathos means suffering : so the first meaning of the term Psychopathology is the suffering of the soul. But pathos also means passion so another, more interesting and exciting meaning of this scary term is the passion of the soul.
Psychopathologies, before being dis-functions, neurosis, or psychosis, are adaptations, the best possible and vital solutions to face a very difficult environment.
They are extreme states for extreme situations. Extreme solutions for extreme problems.

Before being symptoms to treat and normalize, they are stories to embody and play, characters to listen and to under-stand: to stand-under.

Psychopathology, before being a cold and somehow disturbing inventory of symptoms, diagnostics and treatments, is a script of human behaviours, a repertoire of characters, an amazing regard on the many ways in which the human soul comes to term with the challenges of human condition and the vulnerability of the heart.
It is a regard on the passions and sufferings of human soul.

In the Gestalt approach we can see every pathology as an extreme form of contact with the world and with the self, and in Movement Theatre each of them can be played as a dynamic pattern in space and therefore as a character moved by a dramatic urgency.

All Commedia dell’arte Types as well as every Mask, Clown and Character, both from literature or from devised theatre, are far from being normal, balanced or centered. They are all nuts ! And this is the whole point.

The actor is a shapeshifting poet who can consciously enters in their own inner movements as part of the process of observation and transposition of nature, which is a essential element of the pedagogy of Jacqus Lecoq. Emotions, before being psychological dimensions, are dynamics: movements in space. They can be discovered and expressed with the tools of movement that Lecoq defined, as well as explored with the knowledge of the functioning of human psyche and body that comes from the psycho-analytical lineage.
The head is part of the body, the mind moves, and the psyche IS movement in space.

The world is a psychological field

James Hillmann

Martin Shongauer: The temptations of Saint Anthony (1470)

THE PROGRAM

In this highly experiential and experimental workshop of playful awareness, participants will explore different vital movement patterns that, depending or their degree of intensity, will lead to different types of characters and different genres of theatrical language. From Psychological Realism, to Grotesque.
Each one of them will reveal their wisdom and provide precious insights, as well as the profound poetic vitality of strong theater characters. This work and play will bring fun and awareness to the process of exploration and integration of the amazing theatre of our Psyche.

These are the main topics explored during the workshop:
– The dynamic of emotions in space: excitation, expression, repression and impression.
– The somatic of fundamental emotions.
– Movement patterns and Physical Characters.
– Play as a non-ordinary state of perception.
– Psychological Types as Movement Dynamics: where Psychology meets Movement.
– The WHEEL OF POLARITIES: a theatrical tool to explore Psychological Urgencies.
– Creating Theatrical Characters based on classic personality disorders: ex Narcissism, Paranoia, Obsessive -Compulsive Disorder, Masochism, Hysteria etc…
– Levels of expression and levels of Playing: Amplification, deformity and grotesque.
– Playing in altered states and extreme states.
– Playing at the edge between the Personal and the Political, the individual and the collective.

Grotesque Characaterm Helikos School, 2014

ADMISSION

This workshop is specifically designed for anyone interested in exploring the psychological field through movement theatre and play.
Theatre practitioners who are tired of the opposition between psychological realism and physical theatre and would like to have fun exploring inner movements as moving landscapes of human wilderness.
Theatre practitioners trained in the Lecoq lineage who are interested in expanding the field of mimodynamic play and character work.
Educators, therapists, psychotherapists, psychodramatists, drama-therapists and any one active in the field of healing who is interested in exploring psychology using a theatrical paradigm based on embodiment, play and fun.
Teachers and pedagogues interested in a pedagogy of joy, that celebrates the psychic biodiversity of students and teachers.

If you are coming from the field of theatre arts, you can expect to practice physical theatre taking inspiration from psychological dynamics and diagnostics.
If you are coming from the psychological field you can expect to explore psychological profiles and diagnostics through theatrical games, exercise and the creation of characters, both in collective movement practice and through improvisation.

Imagine… a dinner party, in which before entering each guest picks up a card with the diagnostic of their personality disorder and they will play on stage accordingly…

Imagine… a blind date between two paranoids, a personal ad of an obsessive-compulsive, an hysteric journalist reading the weather forecast…or a conference of a depressed motivational speaker…. this is PYCHOPATHOLOGY dell’ARTE !

A fierce and playful curiosity about human folly and beauty is required!
As well as a passionate engagement to the exploration of one’s own emotional life through theatre art.

PRACTICALITIES

HOW TO APPLY
There is no application form. To apply to the Workshop please email a letter of motivation sharing the essence of your story, vision, dream, desire, fear or inexplicable intuition that leads you to this work. Please include in your letter
– your experience with movement based theatre;
– some notes on your personal and professional experience in the field of psychology, psychotherapy or other healing practices.

Giovanni will contact you after receiving the application. Once accepted, places will be given in order of email submission.
Once Giovanni has selected 18 students, the workshop is full, and a waiting list will be created. If you intend to participate, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please send your application to giovanni.fusetti@helikos.com

ENROLLMENT SITUATION AS OF AUGUST 10th:
The workshop is confirmed and fully booked. A waiting list is in place.

TUITION

Early Bird Tuition: AUS $ 750, if tuition is paid by August 1st, 2023.

Full Tuition: AUS $ 850, if tuition is paid after August 1st, 2023.

A limited number of ‘reduced tuition scholarships’ are available for this course. It is up to you to identify if you think you are in need of a reduced price. If you are interested in taking advantage of this please outline it in your letter of motivation.

Once accepted, to confirm the enrollment, a deposit of AUS $300 is due.
Please note that the deposit is non-refundable. Once the application is accepted, spots in the class will be given in the order the application was received.

Please note that the tuition does not include accommodation and that participants will be responsible for organizing their staying in Melbourne.

Please note the workshop is a learning continuum, so it is not possible to attend the class only in parts, or to miss any session of the work.

Once completed the enrollment, participants will receive a message containing further practical details about the workshop.

Hironymus Bosch: The garden of earthly delights (1500) detail

LOCATION
St Ambrose Hall, 3 Dawson St, Bruswick, 3058
Directions

SCHEDULE
The workshop is an intensive 5 day Masterclass, from Monday November 6th to Friday November 10th, 9:30am to 5:30 pm.

LANGUAGE
The workshop will be taught in ENGLISH and a basic understanding of this language is required.

INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS

For further information about the content of the workshop
and for APPLICATIONS, please contact Giovanni Fusetti at

For enrollment and practical enquiries please contact

Leunig