Men Unfiltered

1. Opening the Circle – Men unfiltered is a space that we co-create. Thus, the rules which can help make this space safe, respectful and meaningful must also be co-created. We explore what “unfiltered” means to each of us and what we need from ourselves and one another to show up with honesty and care.

2. The Script of Being ‘The Man’ – Many of us grow up absorbing unspoken rules about what a man should be. We explore the subtle and overt messages that have shaped us. Where did we learn these rules? How have they influenced the way we live, relate, and see ourselves? together , we reflect on the role this script has played in our lives, both supportive and limiting.

3. The Roles We Play: Responsibility, Expectations & Identity – In our daily lives, we inhabit many roles. Some we step into consciously, others we carry almost automatically, shaped by the script we’ve internalised. We explore the roles we occupy and the responsibilities they bring. What is it like to carry them? Where do they feel aligned, and where do they feel heavy? We reflect on our personal relationship with these roles we perform.

4. Inside the Emotional World – When the filters begin to soften, emotions naturally rise to the surface. We explore our relationship with our inner emotional world. Which feelings feel familiar and accessible? Which ones feel uncomfortable, distant, or difficult to express? With gentle curiosity, we reflect on what shapes these patterns and explore how we might make room for a fuller range of emotional experience.

5. Connections, Conflicts & Closeness – We turn our attention to the relationships that shape our lives with parents, partners, friends, and peers. We reflect on how we tend to attach and how we navigate conflict. While we have explored how the script of manhood impacts us, we now reflect on how it influences the way we relate to others, including our experiences with dependence, emotional openness, and experiences of loneliness.

6. Strategies We Lean On – Having reflected on the pressures and challenges we carry, we turn toward the ways we cope with them in our daily lives. What strategies do we rely on to manage stress, overwhelm, or emotional discomfort? Together, we explore how these patterns may have protected us, and what they might cost us over time. With care and without judgment, we consider how we might expand our coping toolkit and move toward healthier, more sustainable ways of support.

7. Quiet Rebellions – While we may be following the scripts we have learnt growing up, there also are ways in which we may be rebelling against it. We try to identify those quiet battles and rebellions you may be leading in your daily lives which challenge the dominant script of masculinity. This provides an impetus for us to move towards re-writing the script for ourselves.

8. Re-writing Masculinity – After exploring the many facets of masculinity - how it shapes us, influences our relationships, and guides our daily choices - we turn toward creating our own script. Drawing on everything we’ve discovered throughout this journey, we reflect on the values, strengths, and practices we want to carry forward, and the version of manhood we wish to embody.