ABOUT
WHAT IS BREAKING ICE?
Breaking Ice is the award-winning program of Pillsbury House Theatre that for over 20 years has been “breaking the ice” for courageous and productive dialogue around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. A diverse company of professional actors portrays real-life situations that are customized to meet the goals, needs and culture of your unique organization.
Breaking Ice performances blend drama, music, poetry, movement and humor in a series of dynamic scenes to explore how systemic inequities, implicit bias and common misperceptions show up in relationships, creating uncomfortable interactions that inhibit innovation, motivation and productivity in the workplace.
Following the performance, trained Breaking Ice facilitators lead your organization in a reflective discussion to deepen awareness and cultivate accountability and action.
Please see Sample Scenarios for examples of what kind of scenes might be included in a customized performance.
WHY DOES IT WORK?
Breaking Ice creates a safe environment for coworkers to share a unique, highly energized experience that encourages empathy, openness and vulnerability that allows us to see ourselves and others in new ways. Performances illuminate commonplace, unintentional language and behaviors that may be misunderstood or hurtful to colleagues. It opens the door for important dialogue around cultural differences and systemic inequities in a powerful and entertaining way.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Content for the customized, highly specific performances is researched and developed to ensure that the issues that confront your organization are incorporated into the show. The trained ensemble of actors spends rehearsals deepening their understanding of your specific workplace, industry and issues so that the characters and situations they portray are recognizable and believable. Imagine what happens when the same discussions and dialogues that are whispered at your workplace are revealed on stage in a safe theater setting. The result is a performance that will deeply resonate with your coworkers.
WHAT HAPPENS?
Outcomes of a Breaking Ice performance include:
- Change how we show up at work
- Change how we engage with each other
- Foster a greater awareness of ourselves and others
- Become more aware of our implicit biases
- View EDI as an ongoing practice
- Experience vulnerable, courageous conversation
- Practice generating concrete, practical actions to advance EDI
BOOKING
Contact us today to learn more about bringing Breaking Ice to your organization.