Enjoy this second (2) of three (3) Lightning Talks from the Spring 2022 Town Hall Meeting in the Transformative Play Initiative Event Series: “Larp and Conflict Transformation” by Shirin Khosropour, Charlotte Gullick, and Laila Taraghi! Lightning talks are meant to spark conversation in our group discussions at Town Hall events, with the goal of inspiring networking and collaborations.
Description:
This talk discusses the ways in which the presenters incorporate larp into their Conflict Transformation trainings at Austin Community College, helping participants practice skill competence and agency in conflict situations. Particular attention is paid to the challenges larp poses for both facilitators and participants, as well as the potential for bleed and how to mitigate it.
Presenter bios:
Shirin Catterson Khosropour (Ph.D. in Psychology, UT Austin) is the founder and director of the Center for Peace & Conflict Studies and a professor of Psychology at Austin Community College in texas. Shirin has earned certificates in Global Conflict Analysis, International Humanitarian Law, and International Conflict Management from the Johns Hopkins Bologna Institute for Peace & Security. In 2012, the American Red Cross appointed her an International Humanitarian Law Teaching Fellow. She has been awarded several teaching and leadership awards.
Laila Taraghi is the Coordinator for the Center for Peace & Conflict Studies at Austin Community College. She holds a Master of Global Policy Studies at UT Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at University of Oregon’s Robert D. Clark Honors College.
Charlotte Gullick (MFA in Creative Nonfiction, Institute of American Indian Arts) is a novelist, essayist, editor, educator and Chair of the Creative Writing Department at Austin Community College. A first-generation college graduate, she received her AA with High Honors from Santa Rosa Junior College, a BA with Honors in Literature/Creative Writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a MA in English/Creative Writing from the University of California, Davis.