Celebrate failure - in pairs

Form a bond
Maintain the bond
Move
Energize
Empower
Play

Goals:

The aim of this tool is to downplay failure within a group and enable participants to free themselves from the desire to “do well” and the injunctions to succeed.

Participants:

Variable

Duration:

10'

Required equipment:

None

Space requierment:

Any area where the group can form a circle and run around it.

Requirements:

None

Preparation

The facilitator leads the group through the protocol, reading and then carrying out each point, one after the other.

Process

Gather all players in a circle in the playing area.
Tell participants that the goal of the game is to fail, and to celebrate when that happens. There is therefore no pressure to succeed. Also, point out that there will be no physical contact, but physical movements. Anyone who does not wish to participate can of course simply watch or leave.
Ask participants to pair up in the space. Once the groups have been formed, ask the pairs to count to three in a loop, each saying a number in turn (Person A: “one”, person B: “two”, A: “three”, B: “one”, A: “two, B: ‘three’, etc.).
The aim is to maintain a fairly steady, stable rhythm.
Any hesitation or pause is considered a failure. When a duet fails, they run around the circle, arms in the air and repeatedly shout “I screwed up” in a cheerful and playful manner, while the others continue the count, then regain their place in the circle and continue the exercise.
When a duet celebrating their failure meets another duet who has also failed, they split to form two new duets and repeat the exercise.
Let the exercise run until participants are comfortable enough with the process and failure rate drops. Add the following constraint: When the number “one” is said, the other person in the duo must clap their hands at the same time. (For example, if A says “one”, B claps her hands at the same time, then B says “two”, A “three”, B “one” and A claps her hands at the same time, and so on). Continue to celebrate failure in the same way when it occurs.
Let the exercise run until the failure rate drops.
Add the following constraint: When the number “two” is said, the other person jumps on the spot at the same time. The celebration in the event of failure still takes place.
Let the exercise run until the failure rate drops.
Add the following constraint: At the same time as the number “three” is said by one person in the duo, the other bends down and then immediately jumps back up. Failure is always celebrated in the same way.

Variant

Celebrate failure as a group.

Note

Notes

Adapted from The iO Theater, a school of improvisational theater in Chicago founded in 1981 by Del Close and Charna Halpern.