Somatic Movement Practitioner.
Integrative Yoga Facilitator.
Intercultural Competence Trainer.
Interdisciplinary Researcher.
+44 74933 97563
Embodied Solutions for Cultural Intelligence
Intercultural Dialogue & Competence Training
– Somatic Approach
- 2,000 US dollars
- 5,000 US dollars
- 500 US dollars
Drawing on original PhD research, I have developed two movement-based programmes designed to support intercultural dialogue and foster personal intercultural competence within organisational and professional settings. These programmes address key barriers to communication—including unconscious bias—through an embodied, ethically responsive approach grounded in somatic practices and Māori-centred philosophy (from a Pākehā perspective).
Although both explicit and implicit bias are widely recognised as obstacles to effective communication (Fiske & Taylor, 2013; Jackson, 2014), there is growing evidence that dominant models of Unconscious Bias Training (UBT) have limited long-term impact (Atewologun et al., 2018; Noon, 2018; Applebaum, 2019; The Behavioural Insights Team, 2020; Lopez, 2020). Unlike these primarily verbal-based approaches, my framework—Intercultural Choreographic Dialogue (ICD)—uses experiential movement and guided reflection to cultivate relational insight and inclusive communication. Findings from fieldwork in Aotearoa and England confirm the effectiveness of this method in supporting self-awareness, cultural responsiveness, and perceptual shifts at both individual and group levels. This work offers a meaningful alternative to conventional unconscious bias training by addressing deeply held assumptions at a somatic level and supporting lasting, transformative change.
References
Applebaum, B. (2019) ‘Remediating campus climate: implicit bias training is not enough’, Studies in Philosophy and Education, 38(2), pp. 129–141. Atewologun, D., Cornish, T. and Tresh, F. (2018) Unconscious bias training: an assessment of the evidence for effectiveness. Research report 113. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission. The Behavioural Insights Team (2020) Unconscious bias and diversity training – what the evidence says. London: The Behavioural Insights Team. Fiske, S.T. and Taylor, S.E. (2013) Social cognition: from brains to culture. 2nd edn. London: Sage. Jackson, J. (2014) Introducing language and intercultural communication. Padstow, Cornwall: T.J International Ltd. Lopez, J. (2020) ‘Unconscious bias training’. Statement made on 15 December 2020. Available at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-12-15/hcws652 (Accessed: 5 March 2021). Noon, M. (2018) ‘Pointless diversity training: unconscious bias, new racism and agency’, Work, Employment and Society, 32(1), pp. 198–209.