Powerplay & Status: Presence, Power, Connection
Sunday 16 August from 10am to 4:45pm
Every interaction has a hidden choreography.
Before we speak, we are already communicating through posture, eye contact, timing, silence, tone, space, listening, and behaviour.
People are constantly reading us, and we are constantly reading them, often without realising it.
This hands-on workshop explores status: the invisible shifts in power, confidence, authority, vulnerability, and connection that shape every conversation.
Status is not about being dominant. It is not about becoming louder, colder, or more forceful.
It is about becoming more aware of what you are signalling, how others are positioning themselves, and how to respond with more choice.
The session is active, practical, and genuinely fun. No performance experience required.
You will not be asked to “act powerful” or perform on stage. This is about using improvisation as a practical tool for communication, confidence, leadership, and human connection.
What You’ll Learn
How to recognise status shifts in real time
How body language, voice, timing, and silence shape presence
How to build authority without becoming aggressive
How to stay grounded when dealing with difficult personalities
How to shift between leadership, collaboration, and support
How to notice when you are unintentionally lowering your own status
How to listen for power dynamics beneath the words being spoken
How to respond with more confidence, flexibility, and awareness
Who This Workshop is For
Leaders, managers, and emerging leaders
Facilitators, educators, trainers, and coaches
People who want to communicate with more confidence and presence
Anyone who struggles with being interrupted, overlooked, or talked over
People who want to understand difficult personalities without escalating conflict
Performers and creatives interested in status, presence, and human behaviour
Anyone curious about the hidden dynamics shaping everyday interactions
Who is Matías Avaca?
Matías Avaca brings together theatre, leadership, systems thinking, and human behaviour.
By day, Matías works as a Senior Team Lead in software engineering, where he leads people, delivery, and cross-functional collaboration across complex digital products. His work involves communication, stakeholder alignment, decision-making, and helping teams navigate pressure, ambiguity, and different personalities with clarity.
Alongside his work in tech, Matías is an Argentinian improviser, director, performer, teacher, and producer based in Auckland, New Zealand.
For over 15 years, he has performed, directed, and taught across more than 15 countries, creating workshops and formats that connect performers and audiences beyond words, borders, and backgrounds.
This workshop draws directly from both sides of his life: the lived reality of leading people in complex professional environments, and the theatrical tools that make hidden human dynamics visible.
This is a rare opportunity to work with him in Sydney for one weekend only!
Book Now - Spots are limited!
Spots are limited to keep the workshop practical, personal, and highly interactive. Join us