The, Actor - Chorus - Text
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A Voice and Performance Residency
RETREAT / CORE TRAINING / SYMPOSIUM
Directed by Anna-Helena McLean (Gardzienice, Guildhall School, Britten Pears Arts)
Supported through association with Centro Anidra, Alef Trust and Icarus Theatre Collective
RETREAT / CORE TRAINING / SYMPOSIUM
Directed by Anna-Helena McLean (Gardzienice, Guildhall School, Britten Pears Arts)
Supported through association with Centro Anidra, Alef Trust and Icarus Theatre Collective
"Life-changing! Unforgettable! Magical!"
"I cannot think of a greater summer!"
“McLean's work as an actor trainer brings powerful transformation to students conducting them into the deepest expressive parts of themselves through intense physicality and play, ceaseless attention to ensemble, vocal release, and impulsive bravery."
Head of Graduate Acting, DePaul University
Watch the teaser trailer here to find out what to expect
ACT INTERNATIONAL 2023
A THEATRE AND FARMING INTENSIVE
GENOA, ITALY
Directed by Anna-Helena McLean
Produced by ACT INTERNATIONAL in partnership with Alef Trust and Centro Anidra
Special guest facilitators include Jessica Bockler & Les Lancaster (Alef Trust), Sandeep Gurrapadi (Guildhall School) and Erin Nicole Washington (VASTA)
Residency Management by Emily Jane Grant (ISTA)
Guest Assistance by ACT Ensemble trainees and Research Participants including Kat Shaw, Marina Hata and Erin Nicole Washington
The offer runs between AUGUST 13th and 27th, 2023
- 3-day 'Creative Wellness Retreat' co-facilitated by Alef Trust and Sandeep Gurrapadi
13-17th August
- 2-week 'Core Training' assisted by the ACT Ensemble (including the 3-day retreat, 2-days off and culminating in a 2-day hybrid symposium)
13-27th August
- 2-day 'Symposium' an hybrid event in association with Alef Trust and Icarus Theatre Collective. The programme includes a presentation of new work, discussions with leading industry figures and taster workshops with specialists from around the world (in-person)*
26th and 27th August
Final Deadline May 5th 2023
Last interviews May 3rd 2023
LGBTQIA+ welcome
Parent-artists welcome
Variously-abled candidates welcome
All nationalities welcome
Reasonable wheelchair access, please enquire for further details
APPLICATION PROCESS NOW OPEN
Limited bursary places available to strong candidates in exceptional circumstances until April 21st 2023
Online symposium and livestream performance booking online here
See below for more details
*The Symposium will run an online programme in parallel to the in-person offer and this will be hosted by and through Alef Trust more details here
This will be a COVID-secure event with the cooperation of all artists involved
Health and Safety Risk Assessment and Policy available on request*
The workshop will also operate predominantly off-grid. Participants will be asked to heavily reduce personal use of electronic devices from the start of the residency (t&c's apply). Wifi and landline communication will be fully accessible as necessary and when required outside the creative work.
"THE ACTOR-CHORUS-TEXT WORK IS IMMEDIATE, INCLUSIVE, EFFECTIVE AND UNFORGETTABLE"
DEPAUL UNI
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Summary overview of prices;
Communal camping and shared heated Bungalows
Prices ranging choices of communal camping (early booking only) or log cabin accommodation as well as catering for all diets;
£650 (log cabin sign up before May 5th) for 3-days including board
£1,950 (log cabin sign up before May 5th) for 2-weeks including certification and board
from £400 for the 2-day weekend symposium
The Online hybrid Symposium is now live at Eventbrite LINK
from £35 - £45 for 1-day online symposium and resources
PLEASE NOTE: Bursaries on offer by application only by final deadline April 21st
Email your enquiry outlining which strand you are interested in "RETREAT | CORE | SYMPOSIUM" with your CV and letter of intention to Emily Jane at;
ACTAnidra@gmail.com
MORE DETAIL BELOW
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Join our newsletter mailing list here
See Anna-Helena's work in action in this video
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Join a 3-day or 2-week inter-disciplinary actor-training residency in Genoa, working alongside diverse artists from all over the world.
With the option to drop-in for just 3-days for a creative wellness retreat or to dive deep into 2-weeks of core voice and performance training in the highly sought-after ACT Ensemble Practice and methodology. The programme culminates in a 2-day symposium which include taster sessions with practitioners from all over the world, roundtable discussions with experienced and diverse specialists and an opportunity to gain early stage insights int a new performance by the ACT INTERNATIONAL Ensemble and Director.
This opportunity provides participants with a deep insight into the core aspects of Anna-Helena McLean’s internationally renowned Actor-Chorus-Text (ACT) Ensemble Practice in a critically reflexive environment that cherishes wellbeing and creative balance. This will be realised through collaboration with contributing artists including Opera tenor and researcher Sandeep Gurrapadi and with the directors of Alef Trust in Jessica Bockler and Les Lancaster. This year's programme develops aspects of the director's latest research into feminist ethics, intensity and interpretation in acting and voice training in the post-Grotowskian laboratory tradition. CORE TRAINING participants will be cast in the first 3-days with a text from Inanna, Sappho or Woolf to develop over the 2-week course. Intensive personal and professional development with expert coaching will culminate in an informal sharing of work on 25th August before folding out into an Identity Cabaret and welcome dinner for the Symposium weekend.
The arc of the programme will interweave wellbeing practices, reflection, focus group discussions, free time and farming alongside skills exchange and creative devising as an ensemble. The sharing on the 25th and the ACT Ensemble performance on the 26th will also provide participants with greater insight into the way ACT build productions alongside an opportunity to discuss that process in dialogue with speakers from across the industries of film, classical acting, physical theatre, Opera, music theatre, Intimacy and Access Coordination and EDI+ advocacy.
The core ACT training will cover:
Embodied Breath work | Ensemble Balance | Musicality & Listening | ‘Mutuality’ partner work from a feminist ethical perspective | Physio vocality and the Extended Voice | Intentionality and Speech | Dynamic Text work | Choral Singing | Chorus & Devising | The Relational Actor | Musical Dramaturgy | Holding Space and Resonance | Psychophysical scoring | Multi-disciplinary Montage
The core training strand of year's residency will fold into a closing event and Identity Cabaret on the evening of 25th August 2023. The Symposium will stage an open rehearsal with the ACT INTERNATIONAL Ensemble and associates in the lead up to the first showcasing of new work with the title 'Orlando Descends'. Participants will have a unique opportunity to learn about the production process and to feedback on the new work at a very early stage in its development as well as inform its next steps. The performance has been produced and commissioned by Guildhall School, Snape Maltings and the Britten Pears Arts Residency 2022, VASTA Converging Pathways conference 2022, The Lossenham Project, SCUDD PRSS, STR and Knole House National Trust. Co-produced by Icarus Theatre Collective.
This year's guest facilitators:
Director of the Alef Trust, Jessica Bockler
“Early morning sessions will offer opportunity for quiet and gentle attunement to the beautiful landscapes of the Anidra Centre. Together we will feel gently into our bodies and into the larger body of the surrounding landscapes that hold and nourish our interbeing.”
“Reflexive practice sessions will provide an anchor for inquiry into our individual and collective processes, exploring voice and calling. We’ll invite discernment into our embodied practices, noticing what questions linger within and what edges are seeking gentle acknowledgement.”
“Consciousness raising conversations will provide opportunity for reflecting on our work through multiple lenses, weaving together a range of theoretical frameworks and fields of study - from consciousness studies, to mysticism, to transpersonal and integrative psychologies, to systems thinking, to feminist studies and deep ecology.”
"Anna-Helena brings an energy and depth to the world of acting which is rare. Her experience of, and research into, the disciplines of acting, voice and body allow for a clarity and connection between her and her students that is penetrating and lasting".
Guildhall BA Acting Studies, Programme Leader
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Participant feedback
An incredibly freeing and empowering experience
I will be taking away the real meaning of embodied knowledge, and how the spine plays an integral role in healthy vocal production
The seamless transitions from breath into singing into text is incredibly useful
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Choose the RETREAT, CORE TRAINING or SYMPOSIUM for this year's residency
Here are the bullet points on what to expect
CREATIVE WELLNESS RETREAT participants will receive:
· Minimum 2.5 hours closed ACT training contact time per day
· 3 x 60 minutes guest facilitation by Jessica Bockler (morning sessions)
· 2 x 90 minutes guest facilitation by Sandeep Gurrapadi (afternoon sessions)
· 15-25 minute coaching '1 on 1' or in small groups with Jessica Bockler and Les Lancaster
· 1-hour seminar with Guest Speaker Les Lancaster, co-director of The Alef Trust
· A personalised training sheet with running comments and feedback from the leading team
· Optional 10 minute '1 on 1' tutorial with the director
· Open morning and evening sessions co-led by the ACT Ensemble and trainee team (children and families welcome to observe and informally participate)
· The opportunity to live in the rural-set eco-village and farm in Northern Italy alongside actors, musicians, performing artists and researchers from around the world
· Time for reflection, discussion, and exploring the locality
· Optional 6-hours of hands-on farming spread over the 3-days in organic complement to the arc of the residency
· Opportunity to live close to nature solo camping / communal camping or in shared, log-cabin accommodation, complete with 3 home-made meals a day (all dietary requirements provided for) using home-grown and local, organic products
· Q & A with the eco-village and centre founding director, Antonella Tarditi plus a tour of the 25-acre grounds with its permaculture experts
· Option to purchase up to 7 (pre-selected) group photos featuring your own work in action during the work-in-progress. The 7 high-resolution images can be used for portfolio, subject to agreed terms and a fee of £85
· Option to book a 30-minute solo professional portfolio photo shoot with Francesca Cambi at a special reduced rate
· A certificate of participation from the ACT INTERNATIONAL 2023 (Designed by Rene Washington)
· Fresh waterfall suitable for swimming only 5-minutes walk from rehearsal site
· On-site masseuse and Finnish Sauna (reduced rates)
· Bar and a la carte options available on request
· On-site childcare / forest school options (reduced rates with early booking) *t&c's apply
· Facilities for accommodation upgrade and to invite guests to stay (costs and COVID regs apply)
CORE participants will receive:
· Minimum 4.5 hours ACT training contact time per day during the 'CORE TRAINING' phase, and up to 8-hours in the last few days
· The opportunity to contribute to a devising process and share the work informally (25th August 4pm) as well as for a professional film documentary team
· Guest facilitation by Jessica Bockler and Sandeep Gurrapadi, for the 'DROP IN' 3-day phase only (see retreat)
· 1-hour seminar with a Guest Speaker (see 'Retreat' above)
· A personalised training sheet with running comments and feedback from the leading artists and producers
· The opportunity to live in the rural-set eco-village and farm in Northern Italy alongside actors, musicians, performing artists and researchers from around the world
· Time for reflection, discussion, and 2-free days for relaxing and exploring the locality (beach/boat trips and local trekking for Intensive strand only)
· 16-hours of hands-on farming spread over the 14-days in organic complement to the arc of the residency
· Opportunity to live close to nature solo camping / communal camping or in shared, log-cabin accommodation, complete with 3 x home-made meals / day (all dietary requirements provided for) using home-grown and local, organic products
· Q & A with the eco-village and centre's founding director, Antonella Tarditi plus a tour of the 25-acre grounds, farm and gardens with its experts in permaculture
· Option to purchase 7, pre-selected group photos featuring your own work in action during the work-in-progress. The 7 high-resolution images can be used for portfolio, subject to agreed terms and a fee of £85
· Option to book a 30-minute solo professional portfolio photo shoot with Francesca Cambi at a reduced rate
· The option to acquire the high resolution master film edit of the film documentary of the process, up to 6 production photos for private use and access to all selected shots on a designated gallery platform (available online) at the inclusive cost of £120 GBP
· A certificate of participation from the ACT INTERNATIONAL 2023 Organisation (see above)
· Fresh waterfall suitable for swimming only 5-minutes walk
· On site masseuse and Finnish Sauna (reduced rates)
· Bar and a la carte options available on request
· On-site childcare/forest school options (reduced rates with early booking) *t&c's apply
· Facilities for accommodation upgrade and to invite guests to stay for the performance day only (costs and COVID regs apply)
The residency will culminate in an open workshop / work-in-progress presentation as part of ACT's organic process of devising, training, reflecting and sharing. The presentation is anticipated to take place at 2.30pm on 25th August, followed by an Identity Cabaret and fiesta open to (COVID-compliant) friends, visitors, symposium attendees and public.
Accommodation for up to 4 days only can be booked for guests in advance. CORE strand participants will also have the option to stay on after the 27th August on request and for an extra daily charge made payable to MOON FOOL LTD. There is wheelchair access in many parts of the site, so please enquire with access needs as relevant.
Attendees will be expected to have a negative COVID-19 test two days before joining and expected to follow up-to-date social-distancing and hygiene protocol as recommended by the project hosts and national government at the time. Relevant up to date notifications will be shared via WhatsApp and on the Health and Safety Policy accessible to all participants online. ACT INTERNATIONAL offer a running COVID-policy and announce regular Zoom meetings to answer any and all questions participants may have in regard COVID-safety and travel.
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Participant feedback 2019
I found a greater understanding of how musical structure transcends into breath and animate physical life
I found the abandonment and flow I had been searching for
I have increased confidence in myself as a performer and vocalist
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We are looking for:
· Diverse people of all backgrounds interested in: acting; singing; embodied voice and voice work; public speaking; creative development; social change through arts; wellbeing in the arts; physical theatre; music theatre; psychophysical acting practices; international/intercultural arts exchange; ensemble theatre; immersive theatre; women in devising; feminist, queer and intersectional practice as research; the relational actor; collaborating with/as artists who are also parents; the post-Grotowskian laboratory; alternative models of leadership; intimacy coordination; intersectional and inclusive practices; queer, trans and black feminist frameworks.
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How to Apply:
Please send a CV and cover letter to ACTanidra@gmail.com outlining;
1) why you want to take part
2) which strand of the residency is of interest to you as summarised here;
RETREAT - 2.5 hours ACT training/day, wellness coaching with Jessica Bockler and Les Lancaster, sonic ecological practices with Sandeep Gurrapadi, an optional seminar and farming
CORE TRAINING - 4.5 hours ACT training/day, coaching with Jessica Bockler, Les Lancaster and Sandeep Gurrapadi, compulsory seminar, up to 8-hours ACT training / day, 2-days off including beach trip, sharing event, 16-hours compulsory farming plus all access to symposium, public performance and resources
ONLINE SYMPOSIUM - A day-long journey into the living dynamics and experiential heart of holistic change facilitation. For your voices and body minds! Visit LINK
HYBRID SYMPOSIUM - The 1st Cultures of Change Symposium will host diversely representative emerging scholars, industry practitioners and creative thinkers sharing research focused around exploring the cultures of practices in laboratory theatre, music theatre and opera. Visit LINK
Candidates interested in the CORE strand are recommended to have participated in at least one intensive ACT training immersion previously or come with significant experience in the field of Laboratory practices i.e MA Acting Graduate. Qualifying candidates may be invited to interview via Zoom before being considered for place.
There is a limit of ONLY 17 PLACES for the CORE TRAINING opportunity, please contact us early with a strong application to be considered.
People of all backgrounds, ages and abilities are welcome to apply*.
The work will be conducted in English.
The venue is not entirely wheelchair accessible and the grounds are rural. Wheelchair users are welcome with a full time and fully prepared assistant.
*LGBTQIA+ individuals included in the equal rights policies (available on request)
COVID-19 related risk assessed policy (available on request)
The work takes pace in a rural, mountainous setting with wildlife and farm animals and integrated part of the daily life. All ages and abilities are welcome with the rural and mountainous nature of the location in mind. Please enquire with any health concerns in advance.
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Fees in GBP:
Participation:
CORE TRAINING & SYMPOSIUM £1,950 (2-weeks)
CREATIVE WELLNESS RETREAT £650 (3-days)
HYBRID SYMPOSIUM (in-person) £400 (2-days) More details here
ONLINE SYMPOSIUM (online) Eventbrite here
Reduced rates are available for communal camping accommodation and early sign up
Fees include board and 3 meals / day plus snacks (catering for all diets)
The workshop is predominantly run off-grid but the option to access one professional photo to share on social media every few days and access to 5 pre-selected high resolution group shots of the work in progress. All participants are also free to book a solo photo shoot with professional photographer Francesca Cambi at a charge of £80 GBP per person. Otherwise no photo taking or social media about the artistic development is encouraged during the residency and not until at least 7 days after the end of the 18 day programme when the creative process has been closed. This will be discussed and agreed at enrolment and any questions are welcomed before securing your place.
All agreements of terms close on deadline 5th May 2022
Payment schedules close strictly by 29th June
Solo rooms and upgrades available at an additional charge
We are happy to support visa and funding applications.
If you are a parent looking to bring a partner or your child/ren alone then please email for more options and special rates sharing childcare/home-schooling in situ. Please note that participants on the CORE TRAINING strand will be expected to participate in all rehearsals. That means children will not be able to watch or join 'closed' work sessions without special agreements with the director, ensemble and other families on site. All children on site will be treated equally and have access to the same opportunities as one another in order to support the smooth flow of the residency and the wellbeing of parents and family during the process. Queries in this regard should be made well in advance to ACTAnidra@gmail.com
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APPLICATIONS CLOSE Deadline 5th May 2023
Overview of prices subject to date of enrolment:
ranging £450-650 for 3-days
ranging £1,350-1,950 for 2-weeks
from £250-400 for 2-day weekend Symposium in-person
from £35-£45 for 1-day online Symposium
All applications, interviews and concessions close on 5th May
Shared, log cabin accommodation £650 (3 days) £1,950 (14 days)
Concessions includes anyone securing funding or reductions for groups of 3 or more (all subject to strong applications and with finances cleared by 5th May)
The generous sale rates are only made possible by upfront payments processed by the deadline stated and confirmed (or in process) travel and health insurance. These all closed on March 14th 2023 although bursaries are on offer by application only until 21st April 2023.
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Participant feedback 2019
I enjoyed the night rehearsal and the magic that was made between us all. I found myself stepping up in a way I would never have been bold enough to do in the past
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Director:
Anna-Helena McLean is studying for a PhD in Performance Practice at Guildhall School of Music & Drama pursuing research into new feminist ethical approaches to the post-Grotowskian laboratory. She was a principal of the Gardzienice theatre company in Poland (2000-2007), and toured as the title role in Electra (Barbican BITE 06). Musical leader in Metamorfozy and Orkiestra Antyczna (Ancient Greek Orchestra) and personal assistant to the director Wlodzimierz Staniewski, running workshops worldwide (Yale School of Drama, The Getty LA). After 6 years working with The Awake Projects, Ensemble, Love Orchestra and Youth company in Sweden (2006-2012), she founded Moon Fool International Theatre & Music Exchange in 2010. As a freelance musician, composer, lecturer, voice coach and actor, her credits include Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III (West End/Broadway/BBC) and Ensemble/Classical Text director at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She devised two core 'Tract and Touch Trust' projects; the first 'Resonant Tails' - bringing extended voice work to children with profound disabilities, and the second 'The Wig Show'. Anna-Helena recently supervised the MA in Classical Acting at Central School of Speech & Drama, Guest Lectured at Rose Bruford College and was engaged for 2 years as Voice Tutor on the Acting Studies BA Hons at Guildhall. She is currently Britten Pears Residency Artist for the second year running and will be presented her latest work thanks to Arts Council England funding in the Britten Studio this Autumn in association with Icarus Theatre Collective. www.moonfool.com
Guest Facilitator 2023, Jessica Bockler:
How to Apply:
Please send a CV and cover letter to ACTanidra@gmail.com outlining;
1) why you want to take part
2) which strand of the residency is of interest to you as summarised here;
RETREAT - 2.5 hours ACT training/day, wellness coaching with Jessica Bockler and Les Lancaster, sonic ecological practices with Sandeep Gurrapadi, an optional seminar and farming
CORE TRAINING - 4.5 hours ACT training/day, coaching with Jessica Bockler, Les Lancaster and Sandeep Gurrapadi, compulsory seminar, up to 8-hours ACT training / day, 2-days off including beach trip, sharing event, 16-hours compulsory farming plus all access to symposium, public performance and resources
ONLINE SYMPOSIUM - A day-long journey into the living dynamics and experiential heart of holistic change facilitation. For your voices and body minds! Visit LINK
HYBRID SYMPOSIUM - The 1st Cultures of Change Symposium will host diversely representative emerging scholars, industry practitioners and creative thinkers sharing research focused around exploring the cultures of practices in laboratory theatre, music theatre and opera. Visit LINK
Candidates interested in the CORE strand are recommended to have participated in at least one intensive ACT training immersion previously or come with significant experience in the field of Laboratory practices i.e MA Acting Graduate. Qualifying candidates may be invited to interview via Zoom before being considered for place.
There is a limit of ONLY 17 PLACES for the CORE TRAINING opportunity, please contact us early with a strong application to be considered.
People of all backgrounds, ages and abilities are welcome to apply*.
The work will be conducted in English.
The venue is not entirely wheelchair accessible and the grounds are rural. Wheelchair users are welcome with a full time and fully prepared assistant.
*LGBTQIA+ individuals included in the equal rights policies (available on request)
COVID-19 related risk assessed policy (available on request)
The work takes pace in a rural, mountainous setting with wildlife and farm animals and integrated part of the daily life. All ages and abilities are welcome with the rural and mountainous nature of the location in mind. Please enquire with any health concerns in advance.
* * *
Fees in GBP:
Participation:
CORE TRAINING & SYMPOSIUM £1,950 (2-weeks)
CREATIVE WELLNESS RETREAT £650 (3-days)
HYBRID SYMPOSIUM (in-person) £400 (2-days) More details here
ONLINE SYMPOSIUM (online) Eventbrite here
Reduced rates are available for communal camping accommodation and early sign up
Fees include board and 3 meals / day plus snacks (catering for all diets)
The workshop is predominantly run off-grid but the option to access one professional photo to share on social media every few days and access to 5 pre-selected high resolution group shots of the work in progress. All participants are also free to book a solo photo shoot with professional photographer Francesca Cambi at a charge of £80 GBP per person. Otherwise no photo taking or social media about the artistic development is encouraged during the residency and not until at least 7 days after the end of the 18 day programme when the creative process has been closed. This will be discussed and agreed at enrolment and any questions are welcomed before securing your place.
All agreements of terms close on deadline 5th May 2022
Payment schedules close strictly by 29th June
Solo rooms and upgrades available at an additional charge
We are happy to support visa and funding applications.
If you are a parent looking to bring a partner or your child/ren alone then please email for more options and special rates sharing childcare/home-schooling in situ. Please note that participants on the CORE TRAINING strand will be expected to participate in all rehearsals. That means children will not be able to watch or join 'closed' work sessions without special agreements with the director, ensemble and other families on site. All children on site will be treated equally and have access to the same opportunities as one another in order to support the smooth flow of the residency and the wellbeing of parents and family during the process. Queries in this regard should be made well in advance to ACTAnidra@gmail.com
* * *
APPLICATIONS CLOSE Deadline 5th May 2023
Overview of prices subject to date of enrolment:
ranging £450-650 for 3-days
ranging £1,350-1,950 for 2-weeks
from £250-400 for 2-day weekend Symposium in-person
from £35-£45 for 1-day online Symposium
All applications, interviews and concessions close on 5th May
Shared, log cabin accommodation £650 (3 days) £1,950 (14 days)
Concessions includes anyone securing funding or reductions for groups of 3 or more (all subject to strong applications and with finances cleared by 5th May)
The generous sale rates are only made possible by upfront payments processed by the deadline stated and confirmed (or in process) travel and health insurance. These all closed on March 14th 2023 although bursaries are on offer by application only until 21st April 2023.
* * *
Participant feedback 2019
I enjoyed the night rehearsal and the magic that was made between us all. I found myself stepping up in a way I would never have been bold enough to do in the past
* * *
Director:
Anna-Helena McLean is studying for a PhD in Performance Practice at Guildhall School of Music & Drama pursuing research into new feminist ethical approaches to the post-Grotowskian laboratory. She was a principal of the Gardzienice theatre company in Poland (2000-2007), and toured as the title role in Electra (Barbican BITE 06). Musical leader in Metamorfozy and Orkiestra Antyczna (Ancient Greek Orchestra) and personal assistant to the director Wlodzimierz Staniewski, running workshops worldwide (Yale School of Drama, The Getty LA). After 6 years working with The Awake Projects, Ensemble, Love Orchestra and Youth company in Sweden (2006-2012), she founded Moon Fool International Theatre & Music Exchange in 2010. As a freelance musician, composer, lecturer, voice coach and actor, her credits include Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III (West End/Broadway/BBC) and Ensemble/Classical Text director at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She devised two core 'Tract and Touch Trust' projects; the first 'Resonant Tails' - bringing extended voice work to children with profound disabilities, and the second 'The Wig Show'. Anna-Helena recently supervised the MA in Classical Acting at Central School of Speech & Drama, Guest Lectured at Rose Bruford College and was engaged for 2 years as Voice Tutor on the Acting Studies BA Hons at Guildhall. She is currently Britten Pears Residency Artist for the second year running and will be presented her latest work thanks to Arts Council England funding in the Britten Studio this Autumn in association with Icarus Theatre Collective. www.moonfool.com
Guest Facilitator 2023, Jessica Bockler:
Alef Trust is a globally-conscious non-profit organisation offering online postgraduate education programmes, validated by UK universities, and open learning courses for academic, professional and personal development. Our transpersonal – beyond ego – programmes and courses are derived from a cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural and holistic philosophy which integrates science and wisdom from Western and Eastern perspectives in psychology, consciousness and human potential. Through exploration of the interplay between mind, body and spirit, we offer an integral education to meet the evolving needs of our interconnected human community in order to foster harmony and transformation in individuals and communities. The programmes and courses offered through Alef Trust are a response to the growing need to create sustainable and ethical development, social and ecological harmony and opportunities for individual growth and community transformation.
Symposium speaker 2023:
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Dr Jessica Bockler is a theatre practitioner and transpersonal psychologist who works across academic and applied disciplines: from arts and health, to transpersonal and integral theory, to transformative learning, to social change. Jessica has worked in the applied arts arena for 25 years, and in 2011 she completed a PhD in theatre and psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, exploring Grotowski-based theatre practices as ways to engage more deeply with the human psyche, soma and soul. Jessica is a Founding Director of the Alef Trust and Programme Director for its Master’s pathway. She is Principal Research Lead for Alef Trust’s global Conscious Community Initiative which aims to connect, support and resource change makers in their work. Jessica is also convener of a new online programme in holistic change facilitation that is launching in January 2023. Jessica is a member of the academic advisory board of the Inner Development Goals initiative, and she is a member of the UNDP’s Conscious Food Systems Alliance which advocates for consciousness-raising practices in systems transformation and sustainable development.
Guest facilitator 2023, Sandeep Gurrapadi Sandeep is currently in his 3rd year of doctoral study at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Sandeep completed Masters degrees in both music education and in performance (Voice) from Trinity Laban Conservatoire. As a performer he’s been invited as a soloist in venues ranging from the Beijing National Stadium, the Royal Opera House of Mumbai, the Southbank Centre in London and most recently making his debut with the Welsh National Opera. In research, Sandeep’s focus has increasingly been focused towards understanding the crossroads where community music and theatre intercept, and the learnings—both practical and theoretical—that might be drawn from their use to create and devise in spaces that inhabit the ‘third space’.
Pamela has conducted workshops around the world specializing in laughter, voice, breath and inspiration for 20 years. She is an Associate Professor of Theatre (tenured) at Purchase College, SUNY in the Conservatory of Theatre and President for the international Voice and Speech Trainers Association - VASTA. She is delighted to be invited back to ACT INTERNATIONAL to serve as a guest artist specializing in voice and breath. Pamela has partnered with Anna Helena McLean in Italy, France, England, Scotland and New York City for numerous past workshops and trainings. Pamela is currently working on a book, The Voice Coach’s Toolkit, to be published by Routledge in 2022-23. She has professionally coached productions for: the Tony Award® winning Alley Theatre (Houston), Cleveland Play House, Yale Repertory Theatre, Dallas Theatre Centre, Hartford Stage Company, Primary Stages (NYC), Bay Street Theatre (NY), Underwood Theatre (NYC), The Play Company (NYC), The Edge Theatre Company (NYC), New York Classical Theatre, St. Ann’s Warehouse, & Dance Theatre Workshop (NYC) among others. Pamela has been on faculty at Yale School of Drama, NYU and UCLA. She received her MFA in Acting from UCLA and is certified in Fitzmaurice Voicework®, Vibrant Voice Technique®, Laughter Yoga and Prana Yoga. www.pamelaprather.com |
Previous guest speakers include:
Guest Speaker 2022, Konstantinos Thomaidis:
The key focus of my research is the development of the interdisciplinary field of voice studies. To this aim, I have co-founded and edit the Journal of Interdisciplinary Voice Studies and the Routledge Voice Studies book series. In 2015, I co-edited Voice Studies: Critical Approaches to Process, Performance and Experience (Routledge), a book that has been described as ‘a much-anticipated and highly useful collection of essays … enriching our understanding of vocal expression and the possibilities that a burgeoning field of voice studies has to offer’ (Twentieth-Century Music, Cambridge Journals). I recently completed Theatre & Voice (Palgrave Macmillan/Springer 2017) and the co-edited volume on Time and Performer Training (Routledge 2019). Alongside voice, my main research interests are performer training, sound-based theatres and movement for actors. From 2013 to 2016, I was one of the convenors of the Performer Training Working Group at the Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA).
I have worked as an actor, director, choreographer and musician in Greece, Poland, Germany, the UK and the US. Recent positions have included: Head of Movement for Opera in Space (London; ACE-funded), Associate Artist of Experience Vocal Dance Company (NYC & London) and core member of Waving not Drowning (Grotowski Institute, Poland & London). I am the Artistic Director of Adrift Performance Makers.
Guest Spaker 2021, Lisa Peck:
Lisa Peck is Senior Lecturer in Theatre Practice at University of Sussex and Associate Tutor at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She has worked in education for over twenty-five years as a teacher educator and education consultant for the National Theatre and Digital
Theatre Plus. Her research works at the intersections between social science and humanities to explore feminist pedagogies in theatre-making and actor training. Her monograph, Act As A Feminist!: Towards A Critical Acting Pedagogy was published by Routledge in 2021.
Lisa is co-founder of RAPT (Research, Artistry, Participation, Theatre) which makes multimodal public artworks.
https://www.rapt-theatre.com/
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Links:
Event page on facebook
Recent publications
Essai
Blog
Guest Speaker 2022, Konstantinos Thomaidis:
The key focus of my research is the development of the interdisciplinary field of voice studies. To this aim, I have co-founded and edit the Journal of Interdisciplinary Voice Studies and the Routledge Voice Studies book series. In 2015, I co-edited Voice Studies: Critical Approaches to Process, Performance and Experience (Routledge), a book that has been described as ‘a much-anticipated and highly useful collection of essays … enriching our understanding of vocal expression and the possibilities that a burgeoning field of voice studies has to offer’ (Twentieth-Century Music, Cambridge Journals). I recently completed Theatre & Voice (Palgrave Macmillan/Springer 2017) and the co-edited volume on Time and Performer Training (Routledge 2019). Alongside voice, my main research interests are performer training, sound-based theatres and movement for actors. From 2013 to 2016, I was one of the convenors of the Performer Training Working Group at the Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA).
I have worked as an actor, director, choreographer and musician in Greece, Poland, Germany, the UK and the US. Recent positions have included: Head of Movement for Opera in Space (London; ACE-funded), Associate Artist of Experience Vocal Dance Company (NYC & London) and core member of Waving not Drowning (Grotowski Institute, Poland & London). I am the Artistic Director of Adrift Performance Makers.
Guest Spaker 2021, Lisa Peck:
Lisa Peck is Senior Lecturer in Theatre Practice at University of Sussex and Associate Tutor at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She has worked in education for over twenty-five years as a teacher educator and education consultant for the National Theatre and Digital
Theatre Plus. Her research works at the intersections between social science and humanities to explore feminist pedagogies in theatre-making and actor training. Her monograph, Act As A Feminist!: Towards A Critical Acting Pedagogy was published by Routledge in 2021.
Lisa is co-founder of RAPT (Research, Artistry, Participation, Theatre) which makes multimodal public artworks.
https://www.rapt-theatre.com/
* * *
Links:
Event page on facebook
Recent publications
Essai
Blog
