Asylum Seekers Resource Centre

Overview

Supporting newly arrived immigrants in the workplace is a leading driver for the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre.

Through their “Employment Support - Professional Mentor Program”, Serious Woo was involved in presenting an experiential workshop program on ‘Fitting in with the Australian Cultural work environment’.

By performing scenarios, forum theatre, collaborative discussion and more, Serious Woo worked with groups to uncover their challenges and provided a supportive environment for participants to try new approaches.

Our actors gave participants the opportunity to explore different cultural communication techniques, break down the cultural psyche and ask questions without facing ridicule or judgment.

Each member was presented with the opportunity to work through scenarios relevant and current for them to ensure the self-learning component was at its optimal. With a troupe of actors and a facilitator, we covered topics such as ‘small talk’. ‘do’s & don’ts in office conversation’ and ‘ways to win over the crowd’.

Each scenario was tailored to the real-life issues brought to us by the participants. This made the content particularly relevant and learner-led, with our acting troupe utilising the ability to create scenarios using improvisation and play. Each participant was presented with a situation and a safe environment to practice different communication suggestions. This was followed by collaborative discussion led by a facilitator, ensuring the learning while highly personalised was contextualised for the benefit of the group.

You guys nailed it with your creative workshop program. The performance was inspiring and a testament to your energy and organizational skills. The audience thoroughly enjoyed it and gave them the opportunity to learn new things, which was the key. It was interactive and kept the audience involved throughout.

Moin Zafar

Mentor Program Coordinator