Abstract:
The Welcome Project at Valparaiso University began as a response to demographic shifts on campus and to the tension and conflict that attend the increasing diversity of a previously homogenous culture. Since its inception, we have believed that collecting the stories of those experiencing that tension help us better navigate the conflict. Research in neuroscience, intergroup dialogue, and interactive theater demonstrates the power of empathy and disequilibrium to move people from identification or dis-identification to potential action. In this chapter, we use that research to frame how an interactive, multi-media performance engages participants in empathy and disequilibrium by presenting excerpts from Welcome Project facilitated conversations and audio stories. In watching actors take on a range of reactions to the stories and to each other, participants can test out their own responses against these to make decisions about how best to act in their communities. First performed at the Porter County Museum in Valparaiso, Indiana, the performance has been adapted for conference and classroom settings. Future research includes developing a pre- and post-survey to assess the way our project’s various practices impact participant interest in diversity and willingness to work for inclusion.
