Participants report on Train-the-trainer course, Jhb, 14-18 May
May 18th, 2012, at 8:42 am | Posted by Mari Stimie

AFAI's first training week, as part of the three-year Cultural Leadership Training Programme, is coming to a close in Johannesburg today.

Fifteen arts and culture practitioners representing ten Southern African countries have been training alongside the five regional programme partners at the Goethe-Institut since Monday. Cultural expert and trainer, Avril Joffe, presented the Train-the-Trainer course, focusing on Arts Marketing, Arts Fundraising, Arts Networking & Advocacy and Project Management for the Arts. Of the participants are expected to 'pay it forward' by facilitating similar training to at least ten more arts and culture practitioners in their respective countries. 

The programme will be replicated in North, East, West and Central Africa. The regional partners are the GoDown Arts Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, represented by Judy Ogana; Groupe 30 Afrique in Senegal, represented by Oumar Sall; Doual’art in Cameroon, represented by Marilyn Douala-Bell; Casamemoire in Morocco, represented by Aadel Esaadani; and the Goethe-Institut represented in South Africa by Henrike Grohs.

Here follows excerpts from daily training blogs by participants:

RICKY KHAXAB of Namibia, writes:

My love for the arts has led me to meet wonderful people while at the same time building my capacity as an artist and crafter! For this I am grateful.

Being selected to participate in the Cultural Leadership Training of Trainers Workshop, has opened up a whole new worldview for me where the African arts and craft sector is no longer divided! We are united under one cause of building and developing our continent.

The challenges that we are facing in realising our dreams are immense. However, looking around the room I draw strength from my fellow travelers on this journey!  There is passion, there is respect, there is fellowship – there is guidance in every aspect of our training. This has encouraged me to release my own power!

We learned what it means to be a facilitator – and also what it means to be a learner at the same time! We learned the tools that we as facilitators can use to ease the facilitation process. We have learnt so much from the trainers and amongst ourselves as co-participants – This process enriched us as trainers, as facilitators, artists and crafters!

Thank you all for your support and friendship.

Following training day 1, JESMAEL MATANGA, Swaziland, noted these comments:

The day started a bit chilly but the warmth created by the  enthusiasm and charm of the facilitator , the diversity of the participants and the ambience of the Goethe Institute auditorium made it a really eventful and fruitful day. A lot of new things learnt today. A total of six modules covered. From  the complex but useful process of chunking sequences to the more easier straightforward like selecting training aids, the mathematical development time estimating and evaluation effectiveness. 

Important tit bits such as the Turkish caution on  'Measuring a thousand times and cutting once'  showing that time spend  in planning is never wasted.  The 7 plus/Minus 2 seven rule and the 90-20-8 principle as important guides in the training methods, activities and teaching aids.  Development of training plans is crucial and training starts well before the actual training activity in preparation of manuals, and activities. Day ended with a stimulating brainstorming of the dos and don'ts of  training and a captivating discussion on religion/ prayers and being culturally sensitive during training. We danced!... and laughed... ha ha ha!

PRINCE LAMBA, from Zambia, had the following to contribute:

I am Prince from Zambia, an Arts and Culture Consultant. I came into the program with a lot of expectations, which I must mention are to a large extent achievable based on the high standard of training I have so far experienced on my first day coupled with rich and diverse individual experiences of the multinational interactive participants. 

I acquired new knowledge both directly from the trainer as well as through interactions with fellow learners because of the ability by the trainer to direct the proceedings of the day in a very skilful manner.  

Major highlights on my first day provided among other things the opportunity to understand myself as a learner using the seven intelligences, learn crucial elements on how to conduct learning sessions for adult learners as well as knowing the desired qualities of a good trainer.  By the end of the day, it became evident that I had for long taken for granted a number of issues that allows for a successful and effective learning process concerning both the learner and trainer.  I am glad to share some of these issues:

·      Need for both learner and trainer to understand and appreciate the seven  typical kinds of smarts which allows for one to learn in particular ways;    

·      Need for a trainer to create an ideal and enabling training environment;

·      Need for a trainer to follow the principles of adult learning and apply them during such training sessions;

·      Need for a trainer to establish different learning preferences of the participants and be able to accommodating such differences as a way of ensuring an effective training process.    

I am now looking forward to Day 2 as a build up on the new body of knowledge and skills so far acquired.  

Also following training day 1, UKHONA MLANDU, South Africa, writes as follows:

So far the Cultural Leadership Training Programme is offering itself as an exemplary case study of a well executed project from the perspective of the overall project management activities around this project. As a participant (an outsider) I have experienced the pre-planning to be seamless. Upon arrival I watch the project team’s sense of responsibility and team spirit. In observing this professionalism I make a personal declaration that the bell has rung and the lessons have indeed begun.

With that said what was left was the anticipation and excitement of meeting the other delegates. This is a richly diverse group who are undoubtedly united by a passion for and commitment to the African Creative and Cultural Industries.

With creating concrete expectations not being a strong point of mine, I begin this journey bringing enthusiasm and an awareness that this is not by means a holiday. Avril Joffe the trainer does well in confirming this. She is sharp, organised, well versed and she inspires nothing less than full participation.

She takes away the daunting task of the initial stages of getting to know the participants through a series of introduction exercises and personality enquiry techniques that enable us to get to know some real fundamental things about each other. This has  formed a solid point of departure or our future interactions.

We are wearing 2 caps here (a far less number than most of us have to wear in our real lives by far); the trainee who must be with the process and the person who is learning training methods which they are to take with them and use when designing their training programmes to take the learning forward.

We rise to the occasion with the grace of Africans!

On training day 2, JAMES MABELA, South Africa, wrote:

Today has been an extensive learning in the training with Avril Joffe, who comes prepared and ready for the challenges and questions posed by nearly 30 participants from different African countries. Avril is an experienced facilitator and trainer, she prepares well for her lessons, and she makes sure we understand content and the skills she imparts.

Today we have been able to learn various techniques in training approaches and design, including: 

• Techniques to memorize objects and identify them and remember them for training purposes 
• Groupings of training content, so that the design of the training can be effective and time conscious
• Classification of training topics, which belongs to each category and also how to categorize people attending the training, so that you could be able to manage them.

We have learned to group training modules into “chunks” and sequence the learning, in order to determine how long a training session can last e.g. 90minutes, and also to control the content of the training. 

We have learned that the training/learning programme design should address the needs of participants, and that the training should be memorable and practical.

One important quote I have learners from a Turkish proverb is “Measure a thousand time and cut once”. The quotes is important because it teaches that one should be prepared or take time to prepare, for a single training event, because “impressions last longer”.

We have also learned about techniques to engage adults within a learning programme, and some of the techniques include the 90/20/8 techniques, which illustrate the time that should be taken to impart knowledge, understanding, retention and involvement of adults within a single training session.

We have also indulged in a concept called IDC (Introduction, Development and Content) which illustrate that 10% of training should be introduction, 65% should be development/presentation and 25% consolidation. The concepts emphasizes the logical approach that should be followed when planning and executing training interventions

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