
Triggering Awareness
Draw your POV
Name of exercise | Draw your POV |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – To get to know each other |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☐ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☒ 30-40 min. |
Form | Individual and group |
Material needed | The set of POV-pictures, a paper and pencil to draw (or other materials, for example clay) |
Preparation | Put all pictures on the table (or on the ground if no table available) |
Step by step description | Invite the participants to look at the set of pictures and pick one. Give them 5 minutes to draw inspiration from that picture. Support them by inviting to think of an ideal situation in the future. ‘What would you like to experience?’ ‘What is your biggest dream?’ Then ask them to get a paper and to start drawing their own POV. Stress that it isn’t about the artistic quality of the drawing. Give them 10 to 15 minutes to draw their story. Invite the participants to put their drawings on the table (or the ground). Then ask participants to pick one (not their own). When they pick one, they first explain why they pick that specific drawing. Then the creator of the drawing shares the story behind the drawing. Continue untill all drawings are picked. |
Closing up
| Reflect on the exercise with participants and make notes. – How was it to make up a story and to draw it? Thank everybody for their drawings and stories. |
Tips for the facilitator | – Safeguard the intimate space when the participants make the drawing. |

Triggering Awareness
Look and stick
Name of exercise | Look and stick |
Picture set category | ☒ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☒ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☒ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Getting to know yourself |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☒ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group |
Material needed | The poster of Flat-pictures (3×3 Instagram grids), stickers in colours, 1 colour per participant or post-its to write a name on |
Preparation | Hang the set of Flat-pictures on a wall |
Step by step description | Give all participants 1 sticker in their own colour or a post-it (and ask them to write their name on the post-it). Ask them to look at the matrix of Instagram-pictures in front of them. Invite them to stick their stickers/post-its on the set of pictures they like the most. After they made their choice, ask them the following questions, one by one. Ask the rest of the group to listen and to refrain from commenting. – Why did you choose this set? Then open the discussion, using the following questions: – Are there any sets with more stickers with different colours? |
Closing up | Reflect on the exercise by asking participants how they experienced this exercise and what they noticed. Thank the participants for being open towards each other and challenge them to keep this openness or to open up even more in the exercises that follow. |
Tips for the facilitator | – See what kind of group dynamics arise in the group and notice if there’s sufficient safety and equality. If not, consider some other team and trust building exercises. |

Triggering Awareness
Make your own, make the others
Name of exercise | Make your own, make the others |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Learn to express yourself |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☐ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | In couples |
Material needed | The set of Flat-pictures I (3×3 Instagram Grid – own profile) |
Preparation | Take care that you have enough pictures available to do the exercise. |
Step by step description | Make pairs. Give the first assignment: Make your own profile Participants may choose 9 pictures from their phones, the Internet (or offline: from magazines) and make their own profile. They have 15 min. to do so. After that they must explain their choices to their partner using memories, opinions etc. Participants have 10 min. to talk about it. Make your partner’s profile Based on the previous discussion, participants start interviewing each other for 15 min. After that they make a profile of the other. They have an additional 15 min. to do so. Once the new profiles are finished, participants show the profiles to each other, explaining their choices and discussing them. Then participants have 15 min. to talk about the new profiles. |
Closing up | Ask participants to return to the circle and ask them to share something they experienced. Point out where prejudices and stereotypes entered the exercises (if so) and highlight the bridges that were built. Thank the participants for their openness. |
Tips for the facilitator | – Be aware that this exercise may evoke strong emotions. Prepare yourself for this. |

Triggering Awareness
Pick & Explain
Name of exercise | Pick & Explain |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Learning to express |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☒ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group |
Material needed | The set of Postcards |
Preparation | Place the set of postcards on a table (or on the floor when there’s no table available) |
Step by step description | Invite the participants to take a look at the postcards and to pick the postcard they feel drawn to. Ask the participants one by one to describe what they see, i.e. to something about the actor(s), the scenery and other things that can be seen on the picture. Ask the rest of the group not to comment during the description. After the postcard is described, ask the group if they see the same or if they see other things on the postcards. Continue with the next participant and repeat this until every participant has picked and described a postcard. |
Closing up | Point out that everybody might see something else in a certain picture and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Make participants aware of the fact that there are different views and that this is something to cherish. Stress the importance of listening to the story of the other. |
Tips for the facilitator | – Don’t reflect too long, because in exercise 3.2 (ADD NAME!!!!!) further depth will be sought after. |

Triggering Awareness
Pick & send
Name of exercise | Pick & send |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Triggering memories connected to people |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☐ 10-20 min. ☒ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group |
Material needed | The set of Postcards |
Preparation | Place the set of postcards on a table (or on the floor if no table is available) |
Step by step description | Invite all participants to take a look at the pictures and pick the postcard they would like to send to someone else. Invite participants to write down a message for that person, either on the postcard itself or on a seperate paper (in case you want to use the postcards again). Give them 5 to 10 minutes to do that. Then ask everybody – one by one– to share to which person they would like to send the postcard and why. If participants feel like it, they may share the text they wrote on the postcard (or the separate paper). Ask the rest of the group not to comment. |
Closing up | Gather all participants in a circle, and ask them to react on what was shared. Thank them for being open and sincere. |
Tips for the facilitator | – This exercise might trigger strong emotions, be prepared for it. |

Triggering Awareness
Pick & tell
Name of exercise | Pick & tell |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Learning to express |
Duration | ☒ < 10 min. ☐ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group |
Material needed | The set of Postcards |
Preparation | Place the set of postcards on a table (or on the floor if no table is available) |
Step by step description | Invite participants to take a look at the postcards and pick the postcard they feel drawn to. Avoid that participants pick the same postcard, for example by putting just one copy of each postcard on the table. Ask the participants one by one to share a story of what they think the creator of the postcard (photographer/painter etc.) wants to share with his/her audience. Ask the rest of the group not to comment during the description. After the story of the postcard is shared, ask the group if they see the same or if they feel the same story behind the picture on the postcard. Continue with the next participant and repeat this until every participant picked and shared a story around a postcard. |
Closing up | – Point out that everybody might feel another story behind a certain postcard. |
Tips for the facilitator | – With this question we go a step deeper because more variation in messages is likely to occur. Imagination starts to kick in. – Take care that the listening really is non judgemental. As soon as you notice things to be judgemental, stop the exercises and start the discussion about being (non)-judgemental. |

Triggering Awareness
Postcard Picture Dream Date
Name of exercise | Postcard Picture Dream Date |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Learning to express |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☐ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group and later in couples. |
Material needed | The set of Postcards, enough chairs, a wall to stick the postcards on. |
Preparation | Look at the postcards and decide if you want to use all postcards, with your objective in mind. |
Step by step description
| Ask all participants to pick one postcard, with their future in their mind. This can be a dream, a future plan or a wish. Put these postcards next to each other on the wall and ask the participants to explain their choices. Then ask the group to choose their three favourite postcards from there. This can be done by voting; give everybody three votes. Then make two rows of chairs facing each other and ask participants to sit down. Then ask them to share a dream with the person in front of him/her based on the first postcards. Give them two minutes. Then the other person will share a dream for two minutes. Then ask everyone in one row to move up a place (the person on the front seat must walk to the rear seat). The new partners now share another dream based on the second postcard, again two minutes for one and two minutes for the other. This is repeated until postcard three. |
Closing up | Gather the group in a circle and ask them to share. Ask if anyone has anything to share or comment on something he/she has heard. In the latter case he/she must first request permission. You can use the triggered dreams to continue working on stories. |
Tips for the facilitator | – Always take care that all participants feel safe. |

Triggering Awareness
POV on you
Name of exercise | POV on you |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Encourage the imagination |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☒ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group and couples |
Material needed | The set of POV-pictures |
Preparation | Put the pictures in a badge that can be attached to a shirt |
Step by step description | Give all participants two pictures in a badge. Ask the participants to look at the two pictures and to choose one. Invite all participants to share one by one with the group what story, either personal or fictional, is triggered by the picture. Phrase it like: ‘Tell us what you are doing here’. Then ask them to look at the other picture again to get an idea of what is happing in that picture. Then let them take a look at the group and ask them to hand the picture to someone else, the one the participant matches with the picture the most. Do this one by one and invite participants to shortly explain why they gave the picture to the other, specifically. Ensure that everyone gets another picture and avoid that certain participants get several pictures. Invite all participants to take a look at the picture they got and to share a little story again, based on the question: ‘What are you doing here?’ Of course, they may use the message they received with the picture. |
Closing up | Evaluate the exercise shortly and inform what the process of finding a picture-person match was like, and how the experience of getting a picture from someone else with a message was. |
Tips for the facilitator | – You can do this exercise in phases as well. For example, start with the first round and invite participants to give the second picture to another participant during a break. |

Triggering Awareness
Press and explain
Name of exercise | Press and explain |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Create focus |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☒ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group |
Material needed | The set of Press-pictures |
Preparation | Use the set of Press-pictures |
Step by step description | Arrange participants into a circle. Stand in front of them holding the press pictures. Show participants one picture for 10 seconds. Ask one participant to explain what he/she thinks he/she has seen. The other participants must listen. After the participant has described the picture, you can ask if the other participants saw the same or have another story. Keep the discussion short (let one or two other participants talk). Repeat this untill all participants have dealt with a picture. |
Closing up | Close the exercise by asking participants to analyse what happened. Point out that one picture can have many interpretations. |
Tips for the facilitator | – Consider starting this exercise with holding one picture up and asking “news or poetry?” as a warming up activity. |

Triggering Awareness
Press and express
Name of exercise | Press and express |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Create focus |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☐ 10-20 min. ☒ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group |
Material needed | The set of Press-pictures |
Preparation | Klik of tik om tekst in te voeren. |
Step by step description | Place participants in a circle. One participant stands in front of them. Show this participant one picture for 10 seconds. Ask this participant to show what he/she thinks he/she has seen, without words. The other participants look and listen. After the participant shows how he/she interpreted the picture, using his/her body/face/movement (sounds are also allowed), you ask the other participants what they think is on the picture. Let them explain how they came to a certain conclusion. Keep the discussion short (let a maximum of four other participants talk). Repeat untill all participants have dealt with a picture. |
Closing up | Close the exercise by asking participants to analyse what happened. Point out that one picture can lead to many different interpretations. Also point out that communication does not only happen through words. The movement of the face and the body give plenty of information as well. |
Tips for the facilitator
| – This exercise also encourages participants to use the body. |

Triggering Awareness
Press and feel
Name of exercise | Press and feel |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Create focus |
Duration | ☒ < 10 min. ☐ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group |
Material needed | The set of Press-pictures |
Preparation | Klik of tik om tekst in te voeren. |
Step by step description | Ask participants to stand in a circle. Stand in front of them, holding the press pictures. Show participants one picture for 10 seconds. Ask one participant to share what he or she experienced while looking at the picture: what memories did it trigger? The other participants listen. When the participant shares the feeling/emotion/experience evoked by the picture, you can ask if the picture triggered other feelings/emotions/experiences amongst other participants. Let one other participant share a feeling/emotion/experience. Repeat this untill all participants have dealt with a picture and all participants have reacted to the expression of someone else. |
Closing up | Close the exercise by asking participants to analyse what happened. Try to get them at a level of thinking about how pictures trigger feelings and emotions and how this can be connected to someone’s history or background. Point out that one picture can lead to many different memories and stories. |
Tips for the facilitator
| – This can built upon the previous exercise (Press and Tell). The exercise goes deeper than the previous one, but it can also be that someone doesn’t have a bodily connection with how it is interpreted. You can consider mixing this exercise with Press and Explain and Press and Tell, starting with Press and Explain, changing halfway to Press and Tell and finilizing with Press and Feel. |

Triggering Awareness
Press and tell
Name of exercise | Press and tell |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Create focus |
Duration | ☒ < 10 min. ☐ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group |
Material needed | The set of Press-pictures |
Preparation | Klik of tik om tekst in te voeren. |
Step by step description | Ask the participants to stand in a circle. Stand in front of them, holding the press pictures. Show the participants one picture for 10 seconds. Ask one participant to share the story that he/she thinks is behind the picture. The other participants listen. After the participant has shared his/her interpretation of the story behind the picture, you can ask if the other participants felt the same or have another story in mind. Keep the discussion short (let one or two other participants talk). Repeat this untill all participants have dealt with a picture. |
Closing up | Close the exercise by asking the participants to analyse what happened. Point out that one picture can lead to many different interpretations and stories and that everybody has his/her own story. |
Tips for the facilitator | – This exercises can be done straight after Press and Explain. You might consider mixing the two. |

Triggering Awareness
Random story
Name of exercise | Random story |
Picture set category | ☒ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Encourage creative thinking |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☒ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group around a table |
Material needed | The set of Flat-pictures II |
Preparation | Place all pictures upside down on the table (or on the floor when no table is available) |
Step by step description | Invite participants to sit around the table. Ask one of them to turn around one of the cards and to briefly describe what he/she sees on the picture. Then ask the participant to start telling a story, involving the picture on the card. Tell the participant to use a couple of sentences and to stop at a decisive moment. Then invite the second participant to turn the next card, describe the picture shortly and to continue the story. Repeat this until all participants added to the story. If the participants are enthousiast, add another round. |
Closing up | Reflect on the exercise by asking the following questions. – Did you like this exercise? Why? Why not? |
Tips for the facilitator
| – This exercise is a very good method for triggering creativity. Participants have a picture and a story to follow, giving people less able to create a story an additional tool to rely on. |

Triggering Awareness
Swap your POV
Name of exercise | Swap your POV |
Picture set category | ☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – To get to know each other |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☐ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | In couples |
Material needed | The set of POV-pictures |
Preparation | Klik of tik om tekst in te voeren. |
Step by step description
| Ask all participants to choose a POV picture and to think of a personal story, something the participant experienced (a memory). Give them 10 minutes to pick the picture and to write the story they would like to share down. Then make couples, and name everybody A. or B. (or better B. and C., if you don’t want this to be related to first and second). Ask the A.’s to share their stories and the B.’s to listen carefully and to make notes. These notes are about the strengths and the talents they hear in the story. When A. finishes his/her story, A. and B. discuss what B. wrote down. (circa 10 minutes) Then the B.’s share their stories and the A.’s listen carefully and make notes. Again, the strengths and talents are discussed. (circa 10 minutes) After the discussions, participants swap their pictures, so (A. gives his/her picture to B. and vice versa.) The participants now have to create a new story, but this time regarding dreams or future wishes, using the new picture and using the strengths and talents they just heard and discussed. Give the participants 10 – 15 minutes to make this new story. All new stories are shared in the circle. |
Closing up
| End the exercise by asking the participants how they experienced this exercise, what they learned from it and how they now see the other. Close the exercise with underlining the importance of appreciative listening, without judgement and focusing on the positive characteristics instead of the negative ones. |
Tips for the facilitator
| – Make sure you let the participants work in mixed couples, without emphasizing too much the differences. |

Triggering Awareness
Top profile
Name of exercise | Top profile |
Picture set category | ☒ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category | ☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases | ☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives | – Learning to express |
Duration | ☐ < 10 min. ☒ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form | Group |
Material needed | The poster of Flat-pictures: 3×3 grids |
Preparation | Hang the poster of Flat-pictures on a wall |
Step by step description
| Ask participants to take a look at the pictures and pick the profile they like most. Then ask them: Can you please tell us your life-story interpretation of the person in the profile? Give them 5 minutes to think about it. They may make notes if they want to. Continue by asking participants to share the life-stories they made. Ask the rest of the group to not react on it immediatley but to keep the comments in mind until the participant finishes his/her story. After finishing the story, invite the rest of the group to ask questions or comment (always in a positive way). Then invite the next participant and continue until the entire group has shared a story. |
Closing up | Reflect on the exercise by asking participants the following questions: – What was it like to choose a profile? Point out that it is important to listen to each other before commenting, because it is important to first to get to know the point of view of the other. Thank the participants. |
Tips for the facilitator | – Consider making the exercise a bit more personal by asking someone what his or her profile would look like. |

Triggering Awareness
Your Postcard
Name of exercise |
Your Postcard |
Picture set category |
☐ 1. Flat-pictures |
Exercise category |
☐ 1. Icebreaker |
Phases |
☐ 1. Teambuilding |
Objectives |
– Encourage creative thinking |
Duration |
☐ < 10 min. ☒ 10-20 min. ☐ 20-30 min. ☐ 30-40 min. |
Form |
Klik of tik om tekst in te voeren. |
Material needed |
Klik of tik om tekst in te voeren. |
Preparation |
The participants need their mobile phone (or you can ask them to bring pictures to the class) |
Step by step description |
Ask participants to take out their mobile phone and go through the images they have made. Invite them to pick an image that the participants would like to send as a postcard. Ask them, one by one, to show the picture to the rest of the group, to describe the picture and to tell why they picked this picture and to whom they would like to send a postcard with this picture. Ask the rest of the group not to comment and to listen carefully. Repeat this until every participant has shown a picture and shared the story behind this picture. |
Closing up |
Bring the participants in a circle and ask them which pictures they liked, which stories touched them and to which stories they could connect. Thank them for being open and sincere. |
Tips for the facilitator |
– This exercise can trigger strong personal emotions, be prepared for that. |