Name: Rowan Kinchin
Pronouns: They / Them
What kinds of workshops do you do?
Facilitation; Direct Action; Strategy; internal group structures; know your rights; anti-oppression; burnout, self- and collective care; safer spaces; how to handle conflict. I also facilitate debrief and processing spaces for groups.
What brought you to facilitation?
Ever since I got involved in grassroots organising over ten years ago I’ve been facilitating meetings and workshops – whenever we learnt something we would teach it to someone else. I’ve also been in a lot of terrible meetings, both in organising groups and in workplaces, and that’s made me committed to making meetings better!
What groups have you worked with?
Small grassroots climate change orgs, legal support organisation Green and Black Cross, Sisters Uncut, Disabled People Against Cuts, disabled arts org Together!2012, trans-owned queer-inclusive social enterprise Open Barbers, Campaign Against Arms Trade, Food Not Bombs, Campaign Bootcamp.
What is your fave workshop to facilitate?
I love a good facilitation workshop, because listening and holding space are at the heart of what I do and I really enjoy drawing other people into the art and skill of it all.
What is your fave workshop tool?
Role plays! People cringe when you introduce them, but being able to practice scary things in a low-risk environment like a training means that people can recognise their already-existing strengths while building on what they want to improve so they’re much more ready when they encounter difficult stuff in the real world.
A lil' something extra you wanna share?
I love to draw and make visual art – I make comics about politics and really enjoy representing information in a visual way. I think it can make lots of complicated things so much more accessible!