A methodology offers a space for reconnection in a fragmented world.
StR is a methodology that integrates Work That Reconnects (WTR), Focusing, Theory U,
and applies social arts as channels for knowledge and transformation.
StR interprets the current polycrisis through the lens of Otto Scharmer’s Theory U. The crisis
of our time manifests through three major divides. The ecological divide concerns the
separation between humans and nature, leading to unsustainable exploitation of resources and
environmental degradation. The social divide appears in growing inequality, exclusion, and
polarization among individuals and communities. Finally, the spiritual/existential divide is
expressed in the disconnection of the individual from themselves, from their purpose, and from
life’s deeper meaning, manifesting in rising rates of depression, burnout, and suicide. These
three interconnected divides fuel global crises and require processes of reconnection at
personal, collective, and systemic levels.
StR responds to the polycrisis by offering opportunities for reconnection with oneself,
others, and nature.
StR uses a map created by overlaying the WTR Spiral with the U-shaped journey of Theory U
and the 6 steps of the Focusing method. StR is inspired by the 5 elements. The journey
begins with a connection to Earth, through gratitude and making space; it then transitions to
Water, where participants are invited to honor their grief for the world and their wounds,
engaging in deep feeling and co-feeling; next, with courage, one crosses a Fire threshold,
where, through symbolization and co-creation, it is possible to see with new eyes; finally, one
reaches Air, moving forward, welcoming, and co-evolving.
StR recognizes the fundamental role that stories and storytelling play in awareness and
transformation, both at the personal and social level. It embraces a decolonial questioning on
“who tells the story” and “what is chosen to be told”, on the importance of plurality of stories
(Fatima Mernissi: Edward Said; Frantz Fanon; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie). It is based on the
awareness of the transformative dimension of stories, referring to storytelling as an act of
consciousness (Daniel Siegel). It shifts the focus from storytelling to story-listening,
combining elements of Theory U and the Focusing approach. StR is rooted in a practice of
listening and sharing that is as ancient as it is fresh.
StR acknowledges the intelligence of the heart and the wisdom of the body. It considers the
arts as symbolic languages, means of awareness, and ways to make the invisible visible. The
aesthetic space makes it possible to see and perceive ourselves in the here and now and in our
infinite process of becoming. Aesthetic distance allows one to observe with compassion and
courage everything that is seen and felt, both internally and externally.
“Social arts can lighten the fixation on the ways we usually do things, how we
should do them, or how we have always done them — all those stuck behaviors…
to simply allow some fresh air into the situation, new understandings, and above all,
insights felt with the heart. We have been conditioned to think that intuition and
intelligence are only mental… but the body has something to say too. This quality of
embodied knowledge opens new pathways of knowing.”
— Arawana Hayashi, U.lab 2024
The StR methodology has been investigated within research on Ecology and Peace practices:
● Pulé P., Olimpico I., Noy Meir U. (2025), Theatre and Stories that ReConnect:
Embodiment Practices that Ecologise Masculinities, in Feminist Climate Policy in
Industrialised States: A Gender-Just Climate Emergency Response, Routledge,
Oxon/New York.
● Olimpico, I., (2025) “Stories that Reconnect: a Practice of Peace”, Scienza e Pace,
advance publication, pp. 1-26.