Moving, Acting, and Connecting: Highlights from our Training of Trainers in Paris

A Different kind of training

On November 26, 2025, the REIGNITE Your Purpose project partners gathered in Paris for a special Training of Trainers session, hosted by our partners at Élan Interculturel.

This wasn’t a typical meeting with PowerPoint presentations and endless note-taking. Instead, we spent the day moving, laughing, and learning how to use theatre and storytelling to support seniors in our communities.

The goal of the day was to equip our trainers with active tools to help seniors express themselves and find new meaning in life. We started by building trust within the group using exercises like “Walk and Stop” and “Nadie con Nadie” (No one with no one)—games designed to wake up the body and spark connection without the pressure of words.

We then moved into deeper reflection through Image Theatre. Participants used their bodies to create “statues” representing powerful concepts like “isolation,” “being seen,” or “finding purpose”. This allowed us to explore the silent struggles many seniors face in a visual and empathetic way.

The highlight of the training was Forum Theatre. In small groups, we built short scenes based on real-life stories of loneliness or loss of motivation.

The unique twist of Forum Theatre is that the audience doesn’t just watch—they become “spect-actors.” They can stop the play, step on stage, and try out different solutions to change the outcome. It is a powerful way to “rehearse” for real-life challenges, proving that small actions can lead to meaningful changes.

Our trainers from Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and France are now returning home equipped with these creative methods. We are excited to implement these dynamic exercises in our upcoming local workshops with seniors!