How about you(th)?

In 2016, Steven gave a workshop for a mixed group of four classes. The motto of the teachers at the school was: 'If we can keep the young people off the streets and free of drugs, then we have already succeeded in our mission.' 
At the start of the workshop, a teacher said to Steven: "There is one student among them that the whole team has really lost control over. If she runs amok, we'll just remove her from the group and you carry on.'

Steven took the group on a journey through vocal and dynamic exercises. He used the golden rule "Everyone is free to join the exercise. Those who don't feel like it or don't dare, sit aside and show respect for the fellow students who do dare or want to experience it'. The real connection came when Steven shared some personal experiences of pain, falling, struggling and resilience and the young people experienced him as an 'older' fellow traveller.
At the end of the workshop, some teachers and young people participated in an exercise that involved group experimentation with creating a sound bath. One girl sang a solo that was so powerful and animated that it left everyone silent. At the end of the day Steven heard from the team that this was the girl the teachers thought they could no longer control. A special, connecting and transforming day.

In 2014, Lien hosted several creative writing workshops (in English) for an international group of young twenty-somethings. The days and evenings were organized in collaboration with Fabula Collective. Pens wandered. Words flowed. Hearts opened and connected.

At Connect Conference in 2015, an international youth conference in Lier, Lien taught a four-day creative journalism writing and magazine making workshop. Ten young people together took on the challenge of creating a full-fledged magazine about the conference from A to Z as a self-organizing team.
As a writing and story coach, Lien guided the young people through this intense process, in collaboration with a professional designer. On the last conference day the magazine was printed and all conference participants could go home with their own copy. A tangible reminder of an unforgettable experience.

In 2017, the second Belgian edition of Connect Conference took place in Lier. We co-facilitated a workshop there in which we went on a four day journey with the young people, around themes such as authentic encounter, voice work and personal storytelling. In addition, we also facilitated a daily conversation group where the young people could exchange personal impressions and experiences with each other. A wonderful week full of inspiration, inspiration and connection

In 2016, Lien organized and coached "Writing Birds," a writing program for young teens. Through nourishing seeds of inspiration, playful and thought-provoking exercises, and a treasure chest full of handy writing tips, the young participants learned to pluck story material from the air for five weeks in a row and to work out their finds on paper. Everyone went home with a self-designed writing bundle full of their own stories. 

In 2019, the international movement of Steiner and Waldorf schools celebrated its 100th anniversary. At the Steiner secondary school in Ghent, we were allowed to organize two workshops for the seventh graders of all Flemish Steiner secondary schools for the occasion. Each half day we worked with a group of 170 young people on connecting, meeting and collecting ideas for the school of the future.