Article by Ipazia
During the “Master the Act Project” (MACT) training week, held in Matera (Italy), between October 24-28, a series of top experts from Romania (active in the theater, art and human resources sectors) selected from Ipazia Production, had the opportunity to participate in a complex training program, which harmoniously adapted and integrated working training methods specific to the performative space, to those existing in the field of human resources management.
According to Adriana Bontea, full professor at the University of Arts of Targu Mures, “During the training course, I had access to a series of useful training techniques and tools, through which I was able to consolidate the theoretical knowledge acquired in the first stage of training initiated by MACT, that of the online courses. At the same time, I had the opportunity to creatively develop informal working procedures regarding: the initiation, monitoring and “calibration” of counseling methods dedicated to people in the process of building a new professional identity (of a job) by identifying and putting the value of strengths, awareness of vulnerability regarding one’s own path and professional profile, use of appropriate resources to develop the necessary skills to achieve the goals set in the career. The climate offered during the training activities was characterized by diversity and original approaches to the employability phenomenon, enhanced by fertile collaborations between different specializations (human resources, psychology, performing arts), thus ensuring a valuable theoretical, interdisciplinary and practical basis, adapted to the new learning formats.
The agenda was a very dynamic one, marked by a close collaboration between trainers and learners, so that there was continuous feedback in the communication relationship. The trainers were receptive and responded with solicitude to the trainees’ proposals. This space of collaboration was ensured and fruitful to the greatest extent by the practical activities, based on creativity, interactivity and the exercise of the playful spirit.
The opportunity to interact with trainers and specialists in the employment sector and creative industries professionals, coming from different cultural areas (Italy, Spain, France, Great Britain, Poland, Romania), contributed to the awareness of the need to further promote the values of diversity and multiculturalism, as a factor of cohesion, decisive in the process of inclusion and in the fight against discrimination. Regarding the challenges regarding the quality and content of the training offer that the MACT program developed and disseminated, through the specific training methodology, I appreciated that there was a coherent approach in structuring the training modules, but also a constant concern for the compatibility of artistic (theatrical) techniques with those specific to the field of human resources, and this will lead to the maximization of employability”.
According to Ovidiu Cioclov – project manager, playwright, PhD and cultural expert – “For 5 days, Matera was at the center of my world. I found very interesting the concept of this program to melt performing arts with the organization tools from the field of management (objectives, deadlines, strategies). Mainly, because I don’t think that arts stops at a specific point and a professional life begins from another. Training has proved that it is useful to use all possible resources to develop throughout our professional life. I also liked the idea of the creative mentor remaining in its role of pure guide, not coming up with solutions or career proposals. In essence, the proposed methods, that’s what I was looking for, were related mostly on the discovery of everyone’s potential and the related maximum capacity use. I remembered an interesting observation, which stated that we do not have necessarily to be interested in the correctness of answers given to questions, but rather remain focused on the student’s evolution towards their maximum potential”.
According to Oksana Rusu – HR artist, expert in performing arts applied in people development through programs supported by sounds and music – “The experience was special, unexpectedly valuable and beneficial, for multiple reasons. I appreciate the fact that the organizers and trainers have designed a coherent and engaging training structure for a large number of participants, harmoniously and combining knowledge and methodologies from 2 different fields that apparently do not have many elements together –theater and HR (especially careers advice and recruitment). I appreciated the effort and collaboration of people from different fields to create a value-added program for both categories of professionals through which each part has to learn aspects with a high degree of applicability in the current socio-economic context. The choice of the location for the training, the city of Matera, with a special architecture that creates the feeling of living in a fairytale place, was another important element that weighed a lot in facilitating a special personal experience for the participants. The space chosen for the activities was generous and versatile, facilitating team work and spending as much time as possible outdoors, in a particularly stunning good weather. From the point of view of familiarization with the methodology, I appreciated that I had the opportunity to go through an impressive number of activities that I consider to be valuable both for the purpose of the training and for the collaboration and creation of connections between the participants from different countries. Although it was quite a busy and demanding activity, I understand the necessity and usefulness of each exercise in training the participants as creative mentors. Dynamic collaboration of participants from various countries helped, also through networking, a continuous exchange of ideas, personal impressions, which created much stronger connections between people, broadening the horizon of knowledge, ideas, experiences, increase of self-confidence and creative-experiential learning”.
The access to the logistics necessary to carry out the whole week training and all the counseling activity, made available by Ipazia Production through the MACT program, but also the creation of professional development opportunities in interdisciplinary working groups, contributed to the improvement of individual skills. The initiative was greatly appreciated by all the participants, both in the individual contents of the various training days and for the context (formal and informal) that was created to make the experience of Matera the best possible for all of them.
