Identity Collage

TARGET GROUP

Young people (15 – 29 years). It can even be used when working with adults.

TIME NEEDED

1 hour

IMPLEMENTATION

During our lifetime, we play different roles which ultimately form our identity. A person can be a friend, a sister, a mother, an explorer, a teacher, a homebody, a horse lover, …, all at the same time. All of these roles create a unique identity that makes us us. 

In the first part of this exercise, we think about different aspects of the roles that we play in our life (in our family, peers, organizations, hobbies, …).  Then each individual takes a magazine and finds photographs, headlines, phrases or other elements that best describe them and create a collage out of the cutouts on a piece of paper. They can use different markers or other materials to make collages the most visually appealing. 

After everyone is finished, each participant presents their collages to the others. We finish an activity by answering the following questions: 

• Are you surprised by the number of roles that you play in your life?
• What role is the most important part of your identity? Which one is the least important?
• How do these roles form during your life? 
• Is your current identity close to who you want to be? Would you like to change anything about yourself? If so, what?

LIST OF MATERIALS

• Paper (preferably A3 format),
• coloured pens/markers,
• scissors,
• glue,
• old magazines.