“I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then. […] How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going to be, from one moment to the next.” (Alice in Wonderland - Lewis-Carroll)
photo: poster from a production of Alice by enVISion theatre Co.
Fortunately, unlike Alice we are not trapped in a non-sensical world where we grow and shrink in size and giant smoking caterpillars put us through gruelling inquisitions, but maybe there are some parallels that can be drawn between Wonderland and reality, metaphorically speaking.
Heaven knows the last 18 months have tested everyone’s ability to cope, adapt, change and grow. It hasn’t been easy and in some cases it has been an enormous strain, both personally and professionally, but like Alice, deep down we know that there must be a way through; by facing our fears and trying to accept the madness of the situation, we become more self aware and more able to persevere.
Change is a given in life and we do have to accept it even if we don’t like it or if we feel it makes no sense to us. We can also lose our sense of self in that period of uncertainty, reformation or renewal, which adds to the challenge of coping and evolving.
Door: “Why it’s simply impassible!
Alice: Why, don’t you mean impossible?
Door: No, I do mean impassible (chuckles) nothing’s impossible”
(Lewis Carroll)
Things that may seem impossible, that fill us with fear or dread, keep us awake at night, or reaching for a glass of something to numb the pain, can, through sheer grit and determination, become possible. If we choose to lock ourselves behind the door of possibility it becomes impassible, but not impossible to move through.
It’s how we address the way we cope with what we find challenging, that ultimately is the key.
In a Quest experience a dilemma is presented and the participants, in their teams are challenged to overcome obstacles. Like Alice, the teams have to figure out puzzles and interact with a number of characters in the story in order to complete their quest and come out having learnt something about themselves in the process.
Quest Challenges helps organisations address change by providing physical, social, emotional and mental activities in the context of a story. The story allows participants to detach from reality for a while in order to explore both themselves and the world of the characters. They need to work together to come up with solutions and devise creative answers. Experiences are even better when the quest happens away from the workplace and in an area of natural beauty, as this enables the participants to completely immerse themselves in the magic of the narrative, which is always connected to the location in which the story is set.
Here are some examples of quest concepts created for both indoor and outdoor settings.
"King's Quest" - 894AD
From across the seas the marauding Danes have voyaged; their desire only to claim new lands. Now here they are, waiting atop Bow Hill for the people of Chichester to battle for this fertile soil. Can you find the two warriors, locate the final battle ground and prevent the Danes from conquering the land?
"The Great Fear" - 1805AD
Napoleon's troops are preparing to invade England. Spies are operating in the South Downs and smugglers continue to trade despite the imminent danger. Can you help the Admiralty find its lost semaphore message and save the country from invasion?
“Sea Dogs Attack!” 1588AD
A bespoke quest for the staff of a secondary school. Lots of laughter and challenges for the teams intent on repelling the Spanish Armada and luring them on to Owers rocks!
“The Sound of Drums” 1643AD
A bespoke quest created as an induction to a peer- mentoring programme. A family in Chichester have been divided by the Civil war and are also reeling from a recent epidemic of small pox. The teams must find the siblings, help them to remove their obstacles and overcome their fears and anger in the pursuit of reconciling the family.
At the end of each quest there is an opportunity for self-reflection, where parallels are drawn between the quest experience and real life. This is a powerful tool for addressing change through self-awareness and developing awareness of support networks within the group.