Workshop: Making the invisible, visible: the role of power in our work (May 2024)

Overview

We cannot work with lived experience or participatory methods without interrogating power.

This workshop delves into different models and frameworks of power and explores how we can shift our practice from ‘doing to and for’ towards ‘working with and alongside’ affected communities. We also interrogate how power shows up for us as practitioners in our approaches and practices.

You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the complex power dynamics at play in your work and the organisations and wider systems you work within. You’ll also learn how to identify and articulate your power and position within different spaces and relationships and discern between different forms of power.

Date and time

Tuesday 14 May, 1pm-3pm (AEST)

Times by States: (Please be aware of time differences for each state and session)

VIC, NSW, ACT, QLD & TAS |  1pm-3pm 

SA & NT | 12.30pm-2.30pm 

WA | 11am-1pm  

Format

This 2-hour workshop is offered online over Zoom.

This workshop is for those who are:

• Seeking to develop and strengthen their participatory practice
• Working with people with lived/living experience
• Wanting to learn more about how to effectively draw from their own lived/living experience as part of their practice and/or advocacy
• Setting up or running client, consumer or lived experience advisory groups
• New or experienced practitioners who haven’t had the chance to reflect on theory and/or practice alongside sector peers (e.g. peer workers, lived experience consultants and advocates).

Testimonials

"I loved how the safe space was set up and thought the break times were set out well. I also appreciated being able to express how I was feeling each day. Morgan was a fantastic and engaging facilitator. The information learnt was invaluable and will enrich the core work that we do that aims to elevate the voices of women and gender diverse people as well as value those with lived experience." – Kathryn Evans, Women's Health Loddon Mallee

"Morgan's training is excellent. While I found the content to be incredibly rich and stimulating in ways that pushed my thinking and practice, it was the way Morgan delivered the training that took the learning to a whole other level. The training is so well held, deeply respectful and yet seemed somehow effortless by Morgan, which I know is not the case. Morgan truly lives and models how to work with people with lived experience." – Kerry Graham, Collaboration for Impact

"Morgan was the standout. The way she walked the talk, held space for the people in the (digital) room and made sure that everyone was supported through the experience was fantastic. Working with lived experience is [not just] about the theory, it's about who you are as a person in relation to and in relationship with other people, and Morgan really showed us what that was all about.” – Ryley Lawson, Victoria Legal Aid

"I highly recommend this thoughtful and practical course to anyone that wants to improve their approaches to engaging people with lived experience. Over four workshops, Morgan created a brave space for us to explore and understand the theory, examine our own practices, learn from each other and fill our tool belts with evidence informed tools and resources to utilise in our work. I will be consciously seeking opportunities to put them into practice. Definitely one of the best pieces of professional learning I've undertaken." – Simon Crabb, Social Ventures Australia

"This was one of the best workshops I have attended in years. Really loved Morgan's style and stories or yarns. I cannot express how valuable this series was to the work I am trying to do within my organisation." – Susie Flynn, Beyond Blue

“Without a doubt, Morgan gave one of the most insightful workshops I’ve had the pleasure of joining. Focusing on the multiple factors, and complexities a person with a lived experience of homelessness can face, she brought a unique mix of innate enthusiasm, storytelling skills, practical examples, and passion not only for social change, but a greater understanding of the power dynamic in a service/client relationship. I left her workshop with a changed perspective and a commitment to help empower people with a lived experience more through digital communications.” - Davida Aerlic, - Launch Housing

About the facilitator

For the past 15+ years, Morgan has been developing and advocating for participatory practice and peer education as essential levers for creating true, lasting, powershifting systemic change in services for historically excluded communities. Her commitment and passion stems from her own intimate lived experience of service systems.

Morgan is the Founder and Principal Consultant of morgan&co (‘co’ for collective), where she advises, coaches, and consults with organisations both in Australia and internationally. These organisations seek to understand the role of power in their everyday work, and how to design more meaningful policies, programs and services through partnering with people with relevant lived experience and expertise.

Morgan offers her workshop series, Working with lived experience: exploring practices, challenges and mindsets, publicly in partnership with For Purpose.