Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: 80673a9f1ae8e4151b5979598a9aa62e1746d77e4166265673affbd3e18f9ffc

# Panic Picture

Participants view a random picture for five seconds before the facilitator hides it. A volunteer immediately tells a brief thirty-second story inspired by the image.

**Time:** 10 minutes. UWT suggested duration based on running 8 to 12 quick rounds of 30-second stories plus brief debrief
**People:** 4 to 24. Whole group with individual voluntary responses

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Practice rapid oral improvisation and creative association using brief visual prompts.
**Use it when:** Use as a fast warm-up before brainstorming sessions or storytelling workshops to get people comfortable speaking spontaneously.
**Skip it when:** Skip when participants need time to process thoughts before speaking, or when visual impairments prevent equal access without significant audio adjustments.

## Materials and tools

- A deck of 15 to 20 diverse picture cards, printed photographs, or slides showing evocative objects, scenes, or people
- A countdown timer or visible stopwatch

## Before participants arrive

1. Gather 15 to 20 diverse images that show concrete scenes, objects, or actions.
2. Arrange seating so everyone has a clear, unobstructed line of sight to the facilitator or presentation area.

## Say this to open

We are going to play Panic Picture. I will hold up a picture for exactly five seconds, and then I will hide it. As soon as it disappears, I will look for a volunteer to tell a quick, thirty-second story inspired by what they saw. It can be factual, completely made up, or personal. There is no right answer.

## How to run it

### 1. Explain the rules and demo (2 minutes)

Explain the structure: 5 seconds viewing, picture hidden, 30 seconds storytelling. Give one quick neutral example, such as seeing an old bicycle and telling a story about learning to ride or a courier rushing across town. Emphasize that participation as a speaker is voluntary.

### 2. Run initial picture rounds (3 minutes)

Show the first image clearly for 5 seconds. Cover or lower it. Ask for a volunteer. Start the 30-second timer. Gently cue the speaker when 5 seconds remain. Thank the speaker once they finish. Repeat with 3 to 4 more distinct images.

### 3. Continue rapid rounds (3 minutes)

Continue running rounds with new images. Call on different volunteers each time so multiple participants get a turn. Keep transitions brisk, with no critiques or analysis between stories. Stop once 8 to 10 total stories have been shared.

### 4. Debrief the improvisation process (2 minutes)

Gather the full room to reflect on what happened mentally when the picture disappeared. Take 2 to 3 voluntary responses across the room.


## Debrief questions

- What was your mind doing during the five seconds the image was visible?
- How did you decide what direction to take once the picture was hidden?

**Finished output:** Completion of 8 to 10 spontaneous oral stories inspired by hidden visual prompts.

## Remote

Screen share an image slide for exactly 5 seconds, then stop sharing. Invite a volunteer to unmute and speak, or use a raised-hand queue. Keep the digital timer visible on camera or provide audio cues at 25 seconds and 30 seconds.

## Hybrid

Display images on a shared digital screen visible to both in-room and remote participants. Alternate turns strictly between in-room volunteers and remote volunteers so both groups participate equally.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants can describe the image directly or relate a personal memory instead of inventing a narrative.
- Volunteers self-select; anyone may choose to watch without speaking or being put on the spot.
- For participants with low vision, provide a 5-second descriptive audio prompt of the image elements before hiding it.

## If the session gets stuck

**Nobody volunteers after the picture is hidden.**

Count to three calmly. If no one steps up, offer a gentle prompt like 'Who can tell us one sentence about where that person was going?' or simply move to a fresh card without pressure.

**A storyteller exceeds 30 seconds and keeps talking.**

Use a clear, friendly physical hand gesture or gentle chime at 30 seconds and say, 'And that is time, thank you for that ending!'


## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo documentation, where the activity is attributed to Mark Collard.

Retained the core mechanic of showing an image for 5 seconds, hiding it, and inviting a 30-second volunteer story from Playmeo. UWT structured the activity into clear steps totaling 10 minutes, added access guidelines, remote/hybrid rules, troubleshooting, and a focused debrief.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/energizer-warm-up-games/panic-picture)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/energizer-warm-up-games/panic-picture/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/creative-storytelling-activity-to-energise-groups-panic-picture/