OUR PURPOSE
is to facilitate an exchange of personal stories in a manner that promotes connection, meaning, and resilience.
OUR HISTORY
The Listening Hour is the brainchild of Jonathan Fox, who is also a co-founder of Playback Theatre, a story-based approach to community theatre based on acting out on the spot real stories of audience members.
Playback Theatre practitioners develop skills in deep listening, spontaneity, and building a positive atmosphere. Initial guides for the Listening Hour have been drawn from this community.
OUR TEAM
JONATHAN FOX
Founder and CEO
Jonathan has focused his career on narrative communication, mainly through his work with playback theatre, which he co-founded.
At Harvard University he studied with Albert Lord, one of the pioneers in the discovery of oral story-making.
He has an MA in political science, a credential in psychodrama and group work, and a D. Phil. h.c. from the University of Kassel for his artistic and scholarly work in theatre. He is an author and widely traveled workshop leader.
IGOR LUZHANSKY
Technology
Igor is focused on bringing technology to the Listening Hour community. His primary activity is running a high-tech business. Besides that, he has completed the Playback Leadership course and trains Playbackers in Ukraine.
He has 2 Engineering Degrees in Computer and Data Science, as well as an MBA with honor from Berlin Stainbais University.
BEATA SOMOGY
Communications
Bea has dedicated her professional career to informal education, working with groups of students and adults outside of classrooms. She is cofounder of different PT Companies and applied PT projects and a teacher of the Hungarian School of Playback Theatre. She has MAs in Hungarian, French, and in DIE studies.
POLINA NOVIKOVA
Technology, Social Media
Polina is an IT Manager with a background, among other things, in rocket science, banking, social psychology, and psychodrama.
From Ukraine, she is the leader of the Odesa Laboratory of Playback Theatre, organizing courses, discussion clubs, and events for playbackers in Odesa and Ukraine.
