#103 Political Can Toss

It’s easier to discuss certain topics once you’ve had a chance to let your emotions out first. Today we’re sharing an idea we picked up at the Saxony Gender Competence Center at the FrauenBildungsHaus that makes exactly that possible in a playful way.

It’s very simple: Just like the game you’d find at a fair, carnival, or festival, cans are arranged in a pyramid (or another, more creative formation). The goal is to knock over as many cans as possible with just a few throws. The twist: The cans feature—in words or pictures—associations with the respective topic that you may have always wanted to “knock over.”

At the Gender Competence Center, for example, the focus was on patriarchal structures. The cans displayed typical phrases and everyday situations that reproduce precisely these structures. “That’s just how men talk” or “Only 2% of female protagonists in movies” were among the phrases displayed there. Of course, entirely different themes are also possible.

But be careful: this must not contribute to confusing facts with typical discriminatory statements. That’s why such statements should be visually distinguished from facts—for example, by using speech bubbles that make it clear the statements are quotations.

Once everyone has worked together to counter the initial frustration and skillfully sent the cans crashing to the ground, there are immediately good starting points for a deeper exploration of the topic.

We wish you good throws and fruitful conversations!