9. How to host a good group session

The stance and details of holding open creative space

Holding a classroom discussion at the School of Visual Arts

During this week of class, student teams will be preparing to host facilitated group sessions. This class session has two goals:

• Prepare teams to do a good job of hosting and facilitating
• Introduce topics and resources for beginning the lifelong journey into the craft of hosting and facilitation

Lecture and activities

• Warm-ups: experiencing yet another way for groups of people to quickly get into conversation or get into creative flow
• Lecture and activity: working step-by-step through a typical session, attending to the details of hosting and facilitation

Key concepts

• The inner game of facilitation: stance and attention
• Letting go of control while guarding quality of conversation and movement toward an outcome
• Working as a team: roles, communication, handling difficulties
• The nitty-gritty details of welcoming, providing structure, intervening, including, harvesting