This year’s Art of Communication Festival weekend is back in person!

(At least for one of the two days!) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-of-communication-festival-spring-2022-tickets-330939618307

Saturday’s online offerings include: an Intro, a session for BIPOC community, Decentering/Dropping the Defense for White-Bodied Folx, NVC for Men, Letting Go of Resentments, Self-Compassion ~ a practice, Becoming Better Listeners, and a workshop on procrastination and the inner critic. So much variety!

Sunday’s workshops will be held outdoors in person at Friendship Garden, located in Harvey West Park, Santa Cruz, CA. Options include a parenting workshop, an LGBTQIA+ community building session, GROK empathy poker, a session on play as part of our human experience, NVC & mindfulness, opportunities for lunch with affinity groups or new friends, and more! Please bring your own lawn chair and/or cushion to ensure your comfort. There are picnic benches, accessible bathrooms, and close parking for those with placards.

Any 3 workshops: $45-120

Access to whole weekend: $75-300

Scholarships generously available. Email info@nvcSantaCruz.org for a full or partial scholarship.

Facilitators include: Caren Camblin, Jessica Escobedo, Michelle Leah Gomez, Rick Longinotti, and Mika Maniwa, Kristin Masters, Kadijah Means, and Jean Morrison.

Full schedule below!

SATURDAY

8:30 – 9:45 am Introduction to Nonviolent Communication with Caren Camblin.

10 -11 am BIPOC Community with Jessica Escobedo & Kadijah Means.

10 -11 am Dropping the Defense -What NVC Invites White-bodied Folx Towards with Kristin Masters. Allyship against racism is a verb, not a noun. In this session we will step towards our values and use them as our guides and motivation to drop our defensive stance when BIPOC folx tell us their experience.

11:15 am -12:15 pm NVC for men (and the people who want to understand them) with Rick Longinotti. We’ll explore the negative self-judgments that commonly occur in men and how to transform them, reducing our defensiveness in relationships.

11:15 am – 12:15 pm Tending to the tenders with Caren Camblin. How can we address our needs as caregivers, educators, & healthcare providers in the context of an ever-changing global pandemic? Many of us had to learn to work in new ways under challenging conditions to meet the needs of our patients, students, and clients, all the while feeling the need for much more support for ourselves. We’ll reconnect with what in us needs mourning and tend to those needs that remain.

12:30 – 1:30 pm Letting go of resentments with Rick Longinotti – Exploring how NVC can help us shift from anger to grief and acceptance—and even restore our joy.

12:30 – 1:30 pm Self-Compassion-A Practice with Kristin Masters & Rascal Zachary. Many of us struggle with actually developing a set of self empathy practices. Our most important and accessible relationship is with ourselves. Come join us in this foundational practice.

1:45 – 3:15 pm Becoming better listeners with Jean Morrison. For anyone who has been told “you never listen!” … or if you’re looking for cues, clues, and coaching tips for upping your listening game. As a seasoned NVC trainer, I have some easy ways to create more connection when you are listening and the speaker is actually experiencing being heard (by you!)

3:30 – 5 pm Procrastination & the inner critic with Mika Maniwa.

3:30- 5 pm NVC & Spirit with Bar Lowenberg.