Prop and Generosity

 "How To Give Without Gifting"

1) Put your listening ears on.

As the title suggests, I wanted to explore how to be generous without giving a physical gift. I often find physical gifts trivial, wasteful, or ungenuine (though it obviously depends on the giver and the gift), so I wondered, "what non-physical thing can I give to my classmates?" 

Listening. A real listener is a rare gift. And sometimes, it takes a little nudging to remind each other of this generosity. 

My props for the performance were two fold. First, I made giant cardboard ears. I added earrings to each (just for fun) and attached them to a headband so they could be put on and taken off. Second, I made cardboard tube and tin foil microphones for the speakers. The props were just silly enough to create a lighthearted environment, but not too silly that they might distract the pairs - at least, that was the hope. During the performance, I discovered that some ear-wearers were distracted by the ears flopping around. Ideally, I would have made the ears with much higher craft, but I didn't have the time or the resources for that. I found that it didn't matter much anyway. The ears were a symbolic gesture for listening, and the listening was the real goal of the activity. 

I also gave the pairs two talking points: tell me about a person who is dear to you, and tell me some of your favorite things about yourself. In asking these questions, I hoped to draw out some vulnerability, authenticity, love, and respect - some qualities that make a speaking and listening experience valuable and memorable. Some things to cross the divide. Though I wasn't able to hear everyone's answers, I did see the expressions of care, appreciation, joy, respect, and thoughtfulness on many faces. 

2) And thank them for sharing.