Connection Exercise 1: Greeting
This exercise should only be done outdoors. Focus should be on the body language and reaction of the people you greet and also the performer should be aware of his/her body language while doing the exercise.
Step out of your door and walk to the main street
Once on the main street you continue walking on the side Walk
Say Hello with a smile to the first person you see
Ask the next person “how are you today?” and wait for the answer.
Greet the next person with a smile and wish him/her good day
You repeat the same order of greeting with the next three persons that you meet while walking
Then you start walking back to your home
Connection Exercise 2: Play
Two or more people, paired up. This exercise should ideally be done on the street, at station, or in a shopping mall. With spectators.
Select a partner
Stand in front of your partner and make eye contact Stay in this position for at least 60 seconds
No 1 extends right hand and hold the right hand of the partner
No 2 extends the left hand and hold the left hand of no 1
Stand there holding hands make sure the grip is firm and do not lose the eye contact
Start moving slowly with small steps in anti clockwise motion
Keep moving in circular motion gradually increasing the speed and do not lose the eye contact
Gradually slow down
And come back to the standing position
Let go of the right hand and then of the left hand
Stand straight for 30 seconds still looking into the eyes of your partner
Connection Exercise 3: Introduction
One person performing and the spectators also play an active role in this exercise. This exercise should only be done in the bus.
Take any bus to Central Station, from your nearest bus stop
Once you enter the bus shake hand with the driver and introduce yourself by saying your name, your nationality and what you do
Then start walking towards the end of the bus but as you walk you should shake hands and introduce yourself in the same manner to all the passengers who you encounter in your way
Once you reach the end take a seat if there is no seat available you stay standing
Once the bus reaches the central station get off the bus and take the next bus going to the same bus stop where you came from
Once you get in the bus, you repeat the same
When you reach the bus stop where you took the bus for central station, you get off the bus
Connection Exercise 4: Dance
Five Persons. This exercise should be done in a public space such as bench in the streets, in shopping malls, station or parks.
Put 5 chairs without arms in a straight horizontal line one attached to the other in the street or at station or use the existing benches within those spaces
5 people sit on the bench or chairs next to each other
They should sit straight with their hands placed on their knees, shoulders relaxed and spine straight
First person extends his/her left hand and holds the right hand of the person sitting next to him/her
They make eye contact while holding hand for 30 seconds and then release. The first person should go back to the starting position
The second person is now activated; he/she hugs the third person while sitting after 30 seconds the second person will come back to the sitting position with hands on the knees
The third person is activated he/she whispers kind words into the ear of the fourth person
Fourth person after being activated put his/her head on the chest of fifth person in order to listen and feel the heartbeat.
The whole thing is repeated in the same sequence but this time starting with fifth person and ending at the first person
After finishing the exercise everyone stays still in their chairs for 20 seconds, the first person should start walking followed by the other four leaving the chairs empty.
Connection Exercise 5: Fitting In
This exercise can be done with as many people as possible. You can do it both outdoor and indoor, wherever you find a small interesting place.
Choose a small space 2 square meters
Gather people and one by one go into this space The challenge is to fit and accommodate as many
people as you can by improvising constantly with your
body making it as smaller as possible in the given space
When everyone is inside stay there together for as long as you want and then leave
Connection Exercise 6: Space within space
In this exercise you will draw your own connection space. This exercise should be done in public space. This exercise should be done with as many people as possible
Draw a circle of approximately 1 meter radius, with a chalk in a public space
Walk inside the circle one by one and stand there Try not to go out of the circle, stay strictly inside it
When everyone is inside stand in the circle for as long as you want
You can chat with each other in the circle and can invite more people to join you
Connection Exercise 7: Goodbye
5 or more people. You will need red handkerchiefs for this exercise. This exercise should only be done on train station.
Go to train station choose any platform
Stand in a horizontal line with half meter distance between each person on the platform close to the railway track
When people sit inside the train and the train starts to leave
Wave people goodbye waving red handkerchiefs in the air together and shout “goodbye” with a smile
When the train has left switch the side on the platform and repeat the same
You can do it as many times as you want in one day
Connection Exercise 8: Love Letter
“You are beautiful. You are brave. You are not alone. You are alive. You are awake. You are here. I am so Proud of you. I love you with all my heart
Kisses & Hugs Anonymous”
Write this letter on one paper and put it in an envelope. Write on the envelope “To whoever finds it”
Leave this letter in the street in supermarket, in the bus, anywhere you want to
You can send as many anonymous letters as you can or want to
Connection Exercise 9: Exchange
One or more persons. You will need any object that belongs to you.
Find an object that belongs to you and has no material value but still is precious to you such as a notebook, a lighter given to you by someone or a book or anything that is of emotional value to you.
Put this object in a public space with a note explaining why this object is precious to you and that you want to give it to whoever finds it but he/she in return should send you something a picture, a letter or an object that is of same value to that person. You should write your email address or other contact details in the note.
Mention in your note that this object later should be given to someone else with the note. The idea is not to possess it.
Connection Exercise 10: Only Connection
Two or more people paired up. This exercise should be done in any public space or event
Each person should stand in front of their partner
Make an eye contact and start walking in the space without losing the eye contact
Then find a spot to stand at least with a distance of 3 meters apart. The distance can be more or less depending on the space
Stand still staring intensely into each other’s eyes Gradually come close without losing the eye contact
Come closer and closer very slowly with very small steps still looking into the eyes until your body touches the body of your partner
Then one person should rest his/her head on the shoulder of the other and close his/her eyes
The other person should do the same
Stay in this position for as long as you are comfortable and then release.
Connection Exercise 11: Protest
This exercise can be started alone or you can gather a group of friends to do it with you.
Each one of you will have to decide what you want to protest against and write that on chart paper. You can also use old newspapers or any other paper to write on.
You will have to take extra chart papers and markers to give to the people who will join later.
Go out on the street or a busy square in the city stand there with your placard
Stand there quietly and ask other people to join you in the protest and they can protest against anything they think is not right.
Stand there for as long as you want silently and peacefully and then put up the posters on an empty wall or exhibit them on the ground and go back home.
Connection Exercise 12: Dance
Should be done in public space with two or more people.
This exercise requires extreme concentration and physical presence in time and space.
Go out in pairs or group and one person should start walking with light and casual steps next person should join in and try to follow the rhythm of the first person and walk together.
Others should join in one by one and should walk together.
Everyone should be very aware of the rhythm and body language of the person next to him/her.
You can walk as long as you want and wherever you want.
Please share your experience with the artist in the as text or any visual form on zaidisobia@gmail.com