Practical Rhetoric: graduation & launch

In 2015 Ibsen International started a project to introduce to China Tank’s method of “Practical Rhetoric”. Participants from 5 different countries and backgrounds were selected to be instructed by Tank in her method during an 8 months’ training (March-October 2015). From October 8-10, 2015 the first group of practical rhetoric teachers finished their course and, to complete their training, they started offering practical workshops around China.

 

8 October  2015: Workshop at Norwegian Embassy in Beijing

19 June 2016: Applied Theatre Forum in Shanghai

2 July 2016: Open Demonstration at There Art Space (Guangzhou)

10 July 2016: Open Demonstration at RSDBT (Shanghai)

 

 

[Workshop at Norwegian Embassy in Beijing]

During a 6-hours’ long workshop open to students and professionals, the newly-graduated class of teachers offered a demonstration of how the Practical Rhetoric method works, and how it can effectively improve communication skills.

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The program of the demonstration was the following:

  1. Physical and voice training:
    • How to seize the audience’s attention
    • How to sound convincing, genuine, and reliable
    • How to create empathy
  2. Dramaturgy  & storytelling:
    • How to structure your message
    • How to make yourself clear
    • How to make a long-lasting impression

read more on the Norwegian Embassy’s Website

 

10 OCTOBER: Workshop at Bernard Controls China

IMG_1270The practical rhetoric team in collaboration with Alessandro Rolandi, head of the Social Sensibility Project, organized a practical workshop in the Chinese branch of Bernard Controls, world leader in manufacturing electric actuators for valve automation.  The practical rhetoric worked in coordination with the HR Manager of the company, Ms. Sun Lei, to address some of the challenging tasks that an international companies face on a daily basis: intercultural communication, inter-departmental communication, organization structure, problem-solving skills etc.

 

IMG_1298The workshop was divided into two parts. During the first part, the practical rhetoric team conducted interviews through storytelling techniques with the staff members, to locate problems in communication, and then elaborate strategies to address those issues. During the second part, the team gave a demonstration of how practical rhetoric works, and then organised a few activities to share the research’s results, and suggest possible approach to problem-solving.

 

  1. Research through Storytelling:
    • Research communication patterns
    • Analyse communication obstacles
    • Elaborate problem-solving strategies
  2. Workshop with departmental managers:
    • Demonstration of practical rhetoric method
    • Restitution of the research’s results
    • Activities to address communication problems