Sessions 

Rehearsing New Mindsets: Applying Six Hats Thinking to Theatre Challenges
9-11 am

When faced with challenges, we all have unique strengths we bring to the process of problem solving. Some of us like to generate as many solutions as possible, thinking optimistically and saving considerations like logistics or budget for later. Others focus on gathering as many facts as possible, while other collaborators hone in on what feels impractical about proposed solutions. We arrive at these approaches through our professional training, life experience, and cultural upbringing. Each approach has its strengths, and sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zones and think differently when trying to combat complex challenges.In this participatory workshop, you will have an opportunity to try on different styles of collaborative problem-solving that may not come naturally to you. Facilitator Saya Jenks will guide attendees through Edward de Bono’s Six Hats framework of parallel thinking in order to collaboratively brainstorm solutions to problems that theatre workers and organizations are currently facing. Teams that use the Six Hats framework often report that the solutions they come up with often feel more hopeful and actionable than they would otherwise. Participants will leave with an embodied understanding of how to implement the Six Hats framework at their own organizations. Attendees are warmly invited to bring real-world challenges facing their organizations to that they would like to collaboratively problem-solve with other workshop participants.

Saya Jenks (she/her) is an applied theatre facilitator and social researcher. She recently relocated to the place she grew up, the San Francisco Bay Area, after living in New York City for the past three years pursuing her PhD in Educational Theatre at New York University. Saya loves bringing play and theatre to places that could use more of both: she has taught theatre at law firms and software companies, in Pre-K and graduate classrooms alike. Saya is an experiential leadership workshop designer for On Deck Workshops, where she has led trainings for clients such as YouTube, Bloomberg, Intuit, LinkedIn, and Morrison & Foerster LLP. She received her M.A. in Educational Theatre from NYU and B.A. in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity from Stanford University.

The 7 C's of Leading with Humanity, Yours and Others
1-2:30 pm

How much of your thinking is your thinking? Through a sense of Curiosity, not surviving, begin to learn how indoctrination into the status quo's ideas of success and power, shapes the identifiers you use and false narratives about yourself. We will then explore the importance of adopting a growth mindset for the benefit of your classroom/school/company culture and personal growth. The use of the 7 C's, Curiosity, Creativity, Collaboration, Clarity, Connection, Consistency, and Compassion will then guide us towards leading with our humanity as we recognize the humanity in others.

Matthew Reynolds, having lived in a variety of communities, countries, and demographics, Matthew has thoroughly honed his communication skills and paired them with an innate generosity toward the perspectives of others. With over 15 years as a teacher in secondary education, he’s passionate about disseminating knowledge. A focus on the performing arts has tuned his ability to reach minds and change hearts through multiple avenues of learning and processing. Matthew was named Top 5 finalist for Oregon Teacher of the Year in 2018 and received an honorable mention for the Excellence in Theater Education Award, presented by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University. He was voted Teacher of the Year at Crater Renaissance Academy in 2009 and was awarded “Volunteer and Educator” of the year from Southern Oregon Queer Resource Center. SOU, 2006. Matthew Reynolds has over 35 years of experience as a performer and instructor in the Theater Arts and Dance. Matthew helped create the Crater Renaissance Academy of Arts and Sciences in Southern Oregon right out of his Master of Arts Teaching program. He spent 12 years in the classroom where he built equity in his program, with his students, guided by the mission of "Creating Community through the Arts." Matthew now finds himself advocating for equity within the arts and education spaces. He looks forward to helping others craft their equity lens so that they may live their biggest, fullest, and brightest lives.

Building Unity Among Global Majority Staff
2:45-4:15 pm

Community isn’t just shared space or experiences—it’s deep connection, comfort, and support. In a predominantly white institution (PWI), Global Majority staff can feel isolated. This workshop addresses the importance of building camaraderie and solidarity through affinity spaces and team-building activities, helping to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for your Global Majority staff.

Aviona Rodriguez Brown (she/they/we) is a multidisciplinary artist, activist, and community leader known for her focus on inclusivity, accessibility, and healing through art. As a Queer Afro-Mexican creative, drawing on her diverse cultural background and life experiences to explore themes of identity, mental health, queerness, and the impact of systemic challenges such as homelessness and addiction.

Aviona has cultivated a wide range of artistic practices, from acting, playwriting, and stage management to community engagement consulting and racial equity advocacy. She is deeply committed to fostering spaces where marginalized voices can thrive, whether through her leadership at The 5th Avenue Theatre or her organization ARB Consulting Arts, which offers community-building services grounded in racial equity and restorative justice. Her bilingual solo performance, REVEAL, is a notable project that highlights her journey of self-acceptance and has been performed across the U.S.

Through her work, Aviona seeks to empower individuals, particularly young people, by offering art as a tool for self-awareness and stress management. She has also been involved with various organizations such as the Movimiento Afrolatino Seattle, bringing her vision of an inclusive, creative world into the public sphere (ARB CONSULTING ARTS).