Sheila Katzman is a passionate theatre practitioner with over 30 years experience working in very highly charged conflict situations globally. She intersects with race and anti-racism with astounding results. She is a member of the Dismantling Racism Team at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, New York since the initiative began some five years ago.

Ms. Katzman is co-founder of Ten-Lanterns Transformative Theatre using Theatre of the Oppressed and Sociodrama as tools for social change. She is president of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT/USA); and chairs NYC for CEDAW Act Coalition, working closely with NYC Legislators and the Commission for Gender Equity to bring New York City into compliance with CEDAW (United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women). Sheila is a retiree of United Nations where she worked in a professional capacity as Chief of United Nations Peacekeeping Radio and Chief/Spokesperson for the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Sierra Leone.

She holds a Masters Degree in Applied Theatre from the University of Manchester and a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Broadcast Journalism/Media Studies from Hunter College/CUNY, and a teaching diploma in Theatre Arts – Edna Manley School of Visual and Performing Arts (JA), and has post-graduate credits in Conflict Resolution from SIPA, Columbia University. She has garnered numerous awards for her work in radio/peacekeeping and theatre.

Professional Associations include iSCAN (International Scociodrama and Action Methods, UK), the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP) and Sociodrama for Social Justice Network.

Valerie Monti Holland is a facilitator, trainer and coach with over 25 years experience working through sticky issues and wicked problems with people in the UK, US, Europe and Asia thanks to an M.A. in Applied Theatre (Manchester) and a Diploma in Sociodrama and Action Methods. She’s a founding member of iSCAN (the international Sociodrama and Creative Action Network). This workshop represents a point on her own journey to becoming an anti-racist, the work of a lifetime.