Thurs 28 Sept: 6pm – 8pm
VENUE: AD Space, E Block, UNSW Art and Design, Paddington Campus
The Long Table is a dinner party set for twelve, where conversation is the only course.
Creating a democratic forum for public discussion, in creative response to conventional hierarchies of ‘expert panels’ and ‘audience questions’, this dynamic structure encourages free movement between speaking and observing. Anyone is welcome to take a seat at the table and offer their individual perspective on anxieties – personal, local and global.
The components are simple: a long table, chairs, a paper tablecloth, pens. Participants are welcome to scribble ideas or comments. There is an etiquette to be observed. There can be silence. There might be awkwardness. There can always be laughter.
Dozens of Long Tables have been held around the world; on topics as diverse as human rights, housing crises, democracy and gender.
Youtube link of Lois Weaver video
The Long Table is open-source. Guidelines and a printable ‘etiquette’ can be downloaded from the Split Britches website.
Two Long Tables will be convened by Lois Weaver during the festival:
Tuesday 26 September: Talking About Lived Experience (ticketed)
Recommended for those with a vested interest in mental health and the voice of experience.
Thursday 28 September: The State of the World (non-ticketed)
Open to anyone who wishes to drop in and discuss the big issues of the day.
Supported by the Wellcome Trust.
Lois Weaver
Lois weaver is an artist, activist and part time professor of Contemporary Performance at Queen Mary, University of London. She was co-founder of Spiderwoman Theater, WOW and Artistic Director of Gay Sweatshop in London. She has been a writer, director and performer with Peggy Shaw and Split Britches since 1980.
Recent work includes: Miss America (2008); Lost Lounge (2009) and RUFF (2012). Split Britches’ collection of scripts, Split Britches Feminist Performance/Lesbian Practice, edited by Sue Ellen Case, won the 1997 Lambda Literary Award for Drama. In 2012, Split Britches was presented with the Edwin Booth Award by City University of New York in honor of their outstanding contribution to the New York City/American Theater and Performance Community. Lois was named a Senior Fellow by the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics in 2014. She is a 2014 Guggenheim Fellow and a Wellcome Trust Engaging Science Fellow for 2016-18.
The Long Table is based on a format developed by Lois Weaver (who writes about it in our book, The Big Anxiety: Taking Care of Mental Health in Times of Crisis). Introduced by Lois in our 2017 festival, the Long Table has since been used in The Big Anxiety for lived experience-led discussions of feelings associated with trauma and suicide.
A Long Table is set up like a dinner table with an ‘etiquette’ formulated by Lois [see HERE]. People participating may choose to sit on the sidelines and listen to the conversation or join the table at any time. There is no pressure to speak or not speak — but guests must come to the table to talk. The aim of this format is to create a non-hierarchical, inclusive space for conversation.
It is not about control or achieving a specific outcome but holding a space of deep listening and respect for others and their opinions and experiences – whether they align with your own or not. Participants speak one at a time, coming to the table to share thoughts with the table — and may join or leave the table at any time. Participants respect the privacy of what is said in the room.
Experiencing strong emotions is natural and healthy. We ask only that you do not hurt yourself, others or the environment – and ensure respectful communication. Being ‘triggered’ or feeling various degrees of reaction is to be expected when people become conscious of trauma held and emerging from within. Participants are welcome to leave the room if necessary to process their reactions privately, before returning.
Trauma-informed counsellors are present and available on request. Massage is available in the room, during the Long Table. In our Melbourne Forum, this is provided by trauma informed, Shiatsu practitioner Dr Leela Klein. The retreat rooms are open throughout the event. Decompression activities will be offered following the Long Table.
In accordance with The Big Anxiety’s ‘Don’t rush home’ policy – we encourage anyone with feelings of distress to make contact, share feelings or talk to us before leaving. Participants are encouraged to talk to the host(s) and/or counsellors about support needs.
There is no moderator in a Long Table—and no rules about what is discussed. It is a lived-experienced-led community discussion rather than a clinician-led process. Whilst many people report finding this a warm and supportive environment, we encourage participants to reflect on whether they are in the right frame of mind to listen to stories of pain and distress, and to talk to event hosts in advance if in doubt.
Our trauma-informed approach is inspired by and aligns with principles of peer support and the generational orientation of other consumer-led approaches to discussion of trauma and suicide, such as Alternatives to Suicide https://alt2su-nsw.net/ and Suicide Narratives by Humane Clinic.
Australian Human Rights Institute Associate Rebecca Moran and Scientia Professor Jill Bennett discuss The Long Table in Human Rights Defender, the newsletter from The Australian Human Rights Institute. HERE