The, Actor - Chorus - Text
|
|
A Voice and Performance Residency
CORE / SYMPOSIUM / LEADERSHIP
2-10th and 22-29th August 2026
Facilitated and Directed by Anna-Helena McLean
with collaborative assistance from Elena Voce Siriani, Karen Simecek, Dylan Aiello and Tania Camara
Guest speakers include Tomei J Bacon (Trans Virtual Centre of Excellence), Electa Behrens (Norwegian Theatre Academy), Blythe de Oliveira Foster (MIT Boston), Kendell Foster (Barbican Centre), Carl Miller (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and Jay Scheib (MIT Boston)
Supported through associations with Centro Anidra, Valada Viva and Arts Council England
CORE / SYMPOSIUM / LEADERSHIP
2-10th and 22-29th August 2026
Facilitated and Directed by Anna-Helena McLean
with collaborative assistance from Elena Voce Siriani, Karen Simecek, Dylan Aiello and Tania Camara
Guest speakers include Tomei J Bacon (Trans Virtual Centre of Excellence), Electa Behrens (Norwegian Theatre Academy), Blythe de Oliveira Foster (MIT Boston), Kendell Foster (Barbican Centre), Carl Miller (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and Jay Scheib (MIT Boston)
Supported through associations with Centro Anidra, Valada Viva and Arts Council England
"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 from uniquely designed previous residencies here and find out more about what you might expect this year:
| act_international_residencies_information_and_rates_pack.pdf |
Updates for 2026 under construction
Join a 5-day and 7-day inter-disciplinary actor-training and creative development residency near Genoa or Lisbon, working alongside diverse artists from all over the world.
Core training covers:
Embodied Breath-work | Ensemble Balance | Musicality & Listening | Holding Space, Resonance & Vocality | Presence & Spine work | Physiovocality and the Extended Voice | Relationality & Communication | Conscious Behaviour & Complaint | Vibrational Presence, Intentionality and Speech | Dynamic Text work | Choral Singing | Chorus & Devising | Integrated practises as Dramaturgical Composition | Structure and Scoring for Performance | Performativity & Montage in site-immersive settings
"THE ACTOR-CHORUS-TEXT WORK IS IMMEDIATE, INCLUSIVE, EFFECTIVE AND UNFORGETTABLE"
DEPAUL UNI
Deadline for all registrations: May 5th 2026
Links
Newsletter mailing list here
See the work in action in this video
See previous symposia hosted in partnership with Alef Trust here
More here
Enrolment
Send your CV, headshot and letter of intention to [email protected]
5-day Core (Inclusive)
2nd August arrivals for dinner, 8th August departures after breakfast
5-day tuition, shared log-cabin accom and meals
£XXXX full fee or save with a group or camping booking
7-day Core and Symposium
2nd August arrivals for dinner, 10th August departures after breakfast
7-day tuition, shared log-cabin accom and meals
£XXXX full fee or save with a group or camping booking
Full package: Core, Symposium (Italy) and Leadership (Portugal)
Italy: 2nd August arrivals for dinner, 10th August departures after breakfast
Portugal: 22nd August arrivals for dinner, 28th August departures mid afternoon
14-day tuition, shared log-cabin accom or bunk/twin room and meals
£XXXX full fee or save with a group or camping booking
Week-long Leadership Retreat: 7-night stay
Co-facilitated by Valada Viva directing founder Deborah Eliezer Abadachi
En-suite double room accommodation and holistic catering included
Contact leadership bookings
All bookings close May 5th 2026
To apply send a CV, headshot and cover letter to
our admin team at [email protected]
Access
All participants will be required to complete an access rider.
LGBTQIA*+ welcome.
Parent-artists welcome.
Some sessions open to families members during the *core (inclusive) residency only*.
Variously-abled candidates welcome.
Limited wheelchair access, please enquire for further details.
All nationalities welcome.
The work will be conducted in English.
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 but this will be restricted to outside the creative work hours only with your kind cooperation.
* * *
WHAT CAN I EXPECT:
With the option for professionals from the corporate sphere to take up a long weekend escape alongside longer, deep-dives for core voice and performance training in the highly sought-after ACT Ensemble Practice and methodology, there is an ACT INTERNATIONAL offer for everyone.
The programme is broken into 3 distinct sections with the corporate strand promoted independently please see here. Both the (Inclusive) Core training offer and the Intensive are the culmination of a programme of online zoom workshops that prepare applicants for rural-set, ensemble-based ethos of ACT. This year's Intensive programme looks at decentring leadership as well as the performative power of voice through a new script devised out of ACT INTERNATIONAL research and practice methodology, called 'A Voice Lesson'.
The Core and Intensive residencies provide participants with a deep insight into the core aspects of Anna-Helena McLean’s internationally renowned Actor-Chorus-Text (ACT) Ensemble Practice in a critical and reflexive environment that cherishes wellbeing, cocreation and creative balance. This will be realised through collaboration with contributing artists including our very special guest for the corporate programme this year, the Directing Founder of Alef Trust a world leading organisation for transformative education and collective systems change. The acting programmes will be assisted by long-standing ACT associate, Kat Shaw along with EDI+ Rep from VASTA and ACT actor, Erin Nicole Washington.
This year's programme platforms the director's doctoral research into progressive ethics for artists, integrated physiovocality practice tools and the application of psychophysical performance practices in mainstream and diverse settings in the UK today. Training participants will be cast in the first 2-days with a text from 'A Voice Lesson'. There will be 4 days off between 20-24th August for the company to enjoy the locality, rest or take advantage of the creation spaces for independent practices (please enquire about costs and availability due to high demand). For those staying on, the scenes introduced in the (inclusive) core training will be developed and culminate in a sharing at the end of the programme. For those joining for the Intensive-only, applicants will be cast and sent texts to prepare in advance drawing on tools accumulated through the online sessions which commence in April 2025.
Intensive personal and professional development with expert coaching will culminate in an informal sharing of work on 30th August before departures on 31st August itself.
The arc of the programme will interweave wellbeing practices, reflection, focus group discussions, free time and community-led farming alongside skills exchange and creative devising in smaller groups and as an ensemble. The sharing on the 30th will include co-performing with ACT's director and experienced company. The performance is integral to the experience by providing participants with greater insight into the way the ACT methodology generates a sustainable company ethos, implementing ethics and developing industry facing and relevant, critically engaged productions for the modern day. Opening the work to audiences also provides an opportunity to discuss and unpack the importance of integrated processes today, in dialogue with speakers from across the industries of Film, Classical Acting, Immersive and physical theatre, Opera, Music Theatre, Intimacy and Access Coordination and EDI+ advocacy.
Join a 5-day and 7-day inter-disciplinary actor-training and creative development residency near Genoa or Lisbon, working alongside diverse artists from all over the world.
Core training covers:
Embodied Breath-work | Ensemble Balance | Musicality & Listening | Holding Space, Resonance & Vocality | Presence & Spine work | Physiovocality and the Extended Voice | Relationality & Communication | Conscious Behaviour & Complaint | Vibrational Presence, Intentionality and Speech | Dynamic Text work | Choral Singing | Chorus & Devising | Integrated practises as Dramaturgical Composition | Structure and Scoring for Performance | Performativity & Montage in site-immersive settings
"THE ACTOR-CHORUS-TEXT WORK IS IMMEDIATE, INCLUSIVE, EFFECTIVE AND UNFORGETTABLE"
DEPAUL UNI
Deadline for all registrations: May 5th 2026
Links
Newsletter mailing list here
See the work in action in this video
See previous symposia hosted in partnership with Alef Trust here
More here
Enrolment
Send your CV, headshot and letter of intention to [email protected]
5-day Core (Inclusive)
2nd August arrivals for dinner, 8th August departures after breakfast
5-day tuition, shared log-cabin accom and meals
£XXXX full fee or save with a group or camping booking
7-day Core and Symposium
2nd August arrivals for dinner, 10th August departures after breakfast
7-day tuition, shared log-cabin accom and meals
£XXXX full fee or save with a group or camping booking
Full package: Core, Symposium (Italy) and Leadership (Portugal)
Italy: 2nd August arrivals for dinner, 10th August departures after breakfast
Portugal: 22nd August arrivals for dinner, 28th August departures mid afternoon
14-day tuition, shared log-cabin accom or bunk/twin room and meals
£XXXX full fee or save with a group or camping booking
Week-long Leadership Retreat: 7-night stay
Co-facilitated by Valada Viva directing founder Deborah Eliezer Abadachi
En-suite double room accommodation and holistic catering included
Contact leadership bookings
All bookings close May 5th 2026
To apply send a CV, headshot and cover letter to
our admin team at [email protected]
Access
All participants will be required to complete an access rider.
LGBTQIA*+ welcome.
Parent-artists welcome.
Some sessions open to families members during the *core (inclusive) residency only*.
Variously-abled candidates welcome.
Limited wheelchair access, please enquire for further details.
All nationalities welcome.
The work will be conducted in English.
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 but this will be restricted to outside the creative work hours only with your kind cooperation.
* * *
WHAT CAN I EXPECT:
With the option for professionals from the corporate sphere to take up a long weekend escape alongside longer, deep-dives for core voice and performance training in the highly sought-after ACT Ensemble Practice and methodology, there is an ACT INTERNATIONAL offer for everyone.
The programme is broken into 3 distinct sections with the corporate strand promoted independently please see here. Both the (Inclusive) Core training offer and the Intensive are the culmination of a programme of online zoom workshops that prepare applicants for rural-set, ensemble-based ethos of ACT. This year's Intensive programme looks at decentring leadership as well as the performative power of voice through a new script devised out of ACT INTERNATIONAL research and practice methodology, called 'A Voice Lesson'.
The Core and Intensive residencies provide participants with a deep insight into the core aspects of Anna-Helena McLean’s internationally renowned Actor-Chorus-Text (ACT) Ensemble Practice in a critical and reflexive environment that cherishes wellbeing, cocreation and creative balance. This will be realised through collaboration with contributing artists including our very special guest for the corporate programme this year, the Directing Founder of Alef Trust a world leading organisation for transformative education and collective systems change. The acting programmes will be assisted by long-standing ACT associate, Kat Shaw along with EDI+ Rep from VASTA and ACT actor, Erin Nicole Washington.
This year's programme platforms the director's doctoral research into progressive ethics for artists, integrated physiovocality practice tools and the application of psychophysical performance practices in mainstream and diverse settings in the UK today. Training participants will be cast in the first 2-days with a text from 'A Voice Lesson'. There will be 4 days off between 20-24th August for the company to enjoy the locality, rest or take advantage of the creation spaces for independent practices (please enquire about costs and availability due to high demand). For those staying on, the scenes introduced in the (inclusive) core training will be developed and culminate in a sharing at the end of the programme. For those joining for the Intensive-only, applicants will be cast and sent texts to prepare in advance drawing on tools accumulated through the online sessions which commence in April 2025.
Intensive personal and professional development with expert coaching will culminate in an informal sharing of work on 30th August before departures on 31st August itself.
The arc of the programme will interweave wellbeing practices, reflection, focus group discussions, free time and community-led farming alongside skills exchange and creative devising in smaller groups and as an ensemble. The sharing on the 30th will include co-performing with ACT's director and experienced company. The performance is integral to the experience by providing participants with greater insight into the way the ACT methodology generates a sustainable company ethos, implementing ethics and developing industry facing and relevant, critically engaged productions for the modern day. Opening the work to audiences also provides an opportunity to discuss and unpack the importance of integrated processes today, in dialogue with speakers from across the industries of Film, Classical Acting, Immersive and physical theatre, Opera, Music Theatre, Intimacy and Access Coordination and EDI+ advocacy.
Check out our speakers DURING OUR LAST RESIDENCY PROGRAMME
"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
|
|
|
* * *
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
* * *
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
* * *
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
* * *
INFO ON FEES
Reduced rates are available for communal camping accommodation, group bookings and early sign-up.
Solo rooms and upgrades available at an additional charge.
Concessions include strong applicants who can evidence exceptional need (all subject to finances clearing by 5th May)
Sale rates are only made possible by upfront payments processed by the stated deadline and confirmed/in process travel and health insurance.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Fees include tuition, tiered board according to options outlined and 3 meals / day plus snacks (catering for all diets)
PORTFOLIO PHOTOGRAPHY and MEDIA REGS
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 £200 GBP per person (check with admin at time of booking). Otherwise no photo taking or social media about the artistic development is encouraged during the CORE and INTENSIVE residencies and not until 7 days after the end of the 16-day programme, and when the creative process has been closed. This will be discussed and agreed at enrolment and any questions are welcomed before securing your place.
AGREEMENT DEADLINES
All agreements of terms close on deadline 5th July 2025
Payment schedules close strictly no later than 25th July 2025 (see t&c's)
VISA SUPPORT
We are happy to support visa and funding applications on the basis of signing off a letter of acceptance or similar.
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
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 (INCLUSIVE) Core 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. Some open sessions will be to the shared timetable in advance and child care should be planned accordingly. 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 their families during the process. Queries in this regard should be made in advance to Connie at [email protected]
INFO ON FEES
Reduced rates are available for communal camping accommodation, group bookings and early sign-up.
Solo rooms and upgrades available at an additional charge.
Concessions include strong applicants who can evidence exceptional need (all subject to finances clearing by 5th May)
Sale rates are only made possible by upfront payments processed by the stated deadline and confirmed/in process travel and health insurance.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Fees include tuition, tiered board according to options outlined and 3 meals / day plus snacks (catering for all diets)
PORTFOLIO PHOTOGRAPHY and MEDIA REGS
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 £200 GBP per person (check with admin at time of booking). Otherwise no photo taking or social media about the artistic development is encouraged during the CORE and INTENSIVE residencies and not until 7 days after the end of the 16-day programme, and when the creative process has been closed. This will be discussed and agreed at enrolment and any questions are welcomed before securing your place.
AGREEMENT DEADLINES
All agreements of terms close on deadline 5th July 2025
Payment schedules close strictly no later than 25th July 2025 (see t&c's)
VISA SUPPORT
We are happy to support visa and funding applications on the basis of signing off a letter of acceptance or similar.
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
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 (INCLUSIVE) Core 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. Some open sessions will be to the shared timetable in advance and child care should be planned accordingly. 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 their families during the process. Queries in this regard should be made in advance to Connie at [email protected]
