Anna Helena Mclean
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CURRICULUM VITAE
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Founding Artistic Director: Moon Fool (Umbrella platform for the ACT Ensemble Practice and Day and Night)
EDUCATION
- 2019-present: Doctoral candidate in Performance Practice at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- 1997-2000: Upper Second Class BA Hons Degree in Drama and Music, Royal Holloway, University of London
- 1995-1997: ‘A’ Levels in Art, English Literature and Music, ‘AS’ Level in English Language, Truro School, Truro, Cornwall
- 1996: Distinction, Grade 8 Cello. ABRSM
- 1996: Gold Medal Acting. LAMDA
- 1995: Distinction, Grade 6 Piano. ABRSM
- 1995: Merit, Grade 6 Music Theory. ABRSM
SELECT EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
2021-present: Guest Voice and Performance Training Coach for the BA Hons Acting Studies at Guildhall School of Music & Drama
2021-present: Contributing researcher-practitioner for the Culture, Creativity, Health and Wellbeing research cluster (LINK) led by Virginie Magnat
2020: Leading artist and composer of Singing Village (virtual choir) - bringing us through and beyond the pandemic. An international platform for virtual creative development for diverse communities including a livestream concert and music video production. Currently in development with The Quadrangle, Lossenham Project, Beechmast Wood and The Nave.
2019 - present: Music Leader for Resonant Tails (extended voice training for children with Multiple and Profound Learning Disabilities) for Tract and Touch, Rosewood Free School, Southampton
2019: Corporate Voice Coach for Springboards internationally expanding team of cross cultural and professional communication coaches dedicated to the career development and advancement of multinational workforces, USA & London
2018: Visiting Lecturer in Polyphonic Song (MA Actor Performer Training), Rose Bruford College
2015 - 2018: Part-Time Lecturer in Extending the Voice (3rd Year Vocal and Choral Studies) and Performance Practice (2nd Year Theatre and Music), Winchester University
2017 - 2019: Visiting Lecturer in Physio-vocality and The Extended Voice, Wolverhampton University
2007 - present: Visiting Lecturer in the ACT Ensemble Practices across Universities including Kent, Plymouth, Falmouth, Exeter, Huddersfield, Brunel, Northampton; Colleges including Edinburgh College and Volda University College Norway; Drama Schools including National School of Drama Delhi, DePaul School of Theatre Chicago, Yale School of Drama NYC, Central School of Speech and Drama London, East 15, Fourth Monkey Physical Theatre School, Circomedia Bristol
2006 - 2012: Ensemble lead/Devising Performer/Facilitator, The Awake Projects a Sweden based enterprise combining the arts and health for social change; including circus/physical theatre training, in and outdoor performance practices, workshop leading (The Breathing Performer), large scale youth work (see ‘performances’), schools touring, group performances (up to 200 Children) and Orchestra (European tour, Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Sweden
2006 - 2013: Visiting Guest Director in Ensemble Training and Classical Text (3rd Year BA Acting and MA Acting), Royal Conservatoire Scotland
2000 - 2007: Full time multi-disciplinary practitioner and facilitator, Gardzienice Centre for Theatre Practices, The Gardzienice Academy for Theatre Practices and The Ancient Greek Orchestra (Orkiestra Antyczna), Poland
SELECTED PERFORMANCES:
- 2019: Performer/Facilitator The Wig Show Group Performance (30 people), dance/voice applied theatre for children (touring schools), produced by Tract and Touch, London & Sweden
- 2019: Composer/Performer Inanna: The Opera Solo Performance as Research in collaboration with Richard Dumbrill (British Museum) and Seventh Ray (Ravensbourne University)
- 2016: Director/Cellist Madame Butterfly Group performance (5 people) produced by Ignacio Joaquin Productions, London
- 2014 - 2015: Director/Composer/Trainer STORM Arts Council England and MacArthur Foundation funded Group Performance (36 person), a futuristic departure from Shakespeare’s The Tempest drawing on the ACT Ensemble training, produced by Moon Fool, Walkabout Theater, Chicago
- 2014 - 2015: Actor/Musician King Charles III Group performance (15 people), multi award winning West End / Broadway / BBC Radio / BBC4 series drama, produced by Sonia Friedman, written by Mike Bartlett, composed by Jocelyn Pook, directed by Rupert Goold, London
- 2014: Composer/Ensemble training/Voice coach Glasgow Girls, Group performance/Musical Theatre (20 people), produced by National Theatre of Scotland, directed by Cora Bissett
- 2014: Director STORM for Libraries Group performance (3 people), produced by Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Warwickshire Consortium for Shakespeare Week, Warwickshire
- 2013: Actor/Musician How to be Immortal Group performance (3 people), produced by Penny Dreadful, directed by Kirsty Housley (Complicite), UK
- 2013: Director/Facilitator Play in a Day Youth community performance (70 people) an ACT Youth project funded by Kent County Council at The Quadrangle Trust, Kent
- 2012 - 2016: Composer/Performer Titania - A Solo Cabaret MTN Award nominated Solo Performance, produced by Amy Mueller (Chicago Shakespeare) touring nationally and internationally including the CPR ‘Giving Voice’ Festival 2015 and across the Highlands of Scotland (Producer Helena Richardson) 2014
- 2012: Facilitator/Conductor Awake Youth Group Performance with 120 fifteen and sixteen year olds from 32 different origins in a physical and orchestral show about health, for an audience of over 1000 school children Concert Hall Västerås, Sweden
- 2011: Composer/Facilitator/Performer Peer Gynt Youth community performance (40 people), written, directed and produced by Lucy Maycock, The North Wall, Oxford
- 2011: Composer/Musician Old Roots/New Routes Group performance (9 people) and research project, the cross-disciplinary practices of folk and hip hop (Polarbear, Jambo Baxter, Dizraeli, Lisa Knapp, Sam Carter) funded by Ideastap, Old Vic New Voices for London Bridge Tunnels, London
- 2010: Director ACT Youth adaptation of Romeo and Juliet Group Performance (40 Children) at Shri Ram School, Delhi alongside a British Council funded ACT Workshop tour of India assisted by Anirudh Nair
- 2009 - 2011: Ensemble principal Awake written by Timberlake Wertenbaker (Our Country’s Good) and Edward Kemp (RADA) Group performance (11 people), produced by Natalie Richardson, directed by Christopher Sivertsen (Song of the Goat). Venues include Jackson’s Lane London
- 2009 - 2012: Ensemble principal/co-director ill met by moonlight Group performance (3 people), national tour co-produced by Trestle Touring and South Hill Park, directed by Ian Morgan (RADA), St. Albans
- 2009: Director/Composer Romeo and Juliet Group performance (12 people), produced by The Working Party and Teaterhaus Mitte, movement direction by Dawid Zakowski (Studium Teatralne), Berlin
- 2008 - 2009: Facilitator/Composer Peer Gynt Youth community performance (150 people) Novu Sweden 2008 (Link: https://youtu.be/9XsuEp1T43Q) and Platform Easterhouse, Scotland 2009 (Link: https://youtu.be/hfMlncepWPE)
- 2008 Sclavi - Song of an Emigrant Group performance (10 people), directed by Viliam Docolomansky (Farm in the Cave), composed by Mariana Sadowska (Gardzienice), Prague
- 2007 Director/Composer The Lear ACE Funded Group performance (4 people), The Nightingale Theatre, Brighton
- 2007 Music and Ensemble Director Nothing Left To Lose Group performance (14 people), directed by Tanushka Marah (Company Collisions) for London International Mime Festival, London
- 2006 Music and Ensemble Director Arquiem Outdoor group performance (15 people), directed by Claire Raftery (Periplum) for Royal National Theatre, London
- 2006 Composer and Musician Iphigenia in Aulis Group performance (16 people), directed by Wlodzimierz Staniewski (Gardzienice), Poland for national touring
- 2006 Actor Yerma Group Performance Research (7 people) with Kathryn Hunter and Marcello Magni, directed by Helena Kowt-Hausen, London
- 2004-2007 Principal Performer Electra Group performance (15 people), directed by Wlodzimierz Staniewski (Gardzienice), Poland for international touring (Barbican BITE, 2006)
- 2002 - 2007: Principal Performer Metamorfozy or The Golden Donkey Group performance (11 people), directed by Wlodzimierz Staniewski (Gardzienice), Poland for international touring including Barbican BITE 2006
- 2000 - 2007: Musical Leader Carmina Burana and Awwakum Group performances (30 people), directed by Wlodzimierz Staniewski (Gardzienice), Poland
SELECT PRACTICE, PROJECTS AND TRAINING:
- One on one live and online; regular, intensive and residential coaching in the ACT Practice for diverse participants. Currently artist-in-residence between The Nave (Hastings), Beechmast Wood (Kent), The Beekeepers Artists Retreat (Portugal) and at Centro Anidra (Italy). Ongoing online seminars for the Voice and Wellbeing eminence research cluster (Canada) as well as The Alef Trust (Transpersonal Psychology online MA) and in affiliation with Springboard communication agency for corporates. Previous host partnerships include The Old Truman Brewery, London; The Quadrangle, Kent; Au Brana Cultural Centre, France; Teaterhaus Mitte, Berlin; Schloss Broellin, Germany; Infinite Souls Artists Retreat, Bangalore, India; Tepantar Village, Calcutta; Kamshet, Mumbai; Pacific Union College, CA, USA; Venado Centre/foolsFURY, San Francisco; Walkabout Theater, Chicago. 2005 - present
- Ongoing research dialogue and exchange with Demetris Zavros (funded by Uni of Wolverhampton) Musical dramaturgies, alternative hierarchies and the creative process - toward new socio-political environments for theatre after Gardzienice including 7 day funded R & D at The Beekeepers Retreat, Portugal documented on film, 2018
- Co-musician/composer Jason Singh sound sculptor, composer and beatboxer (Guildhall, SYJO) performing experimental practice as part of Giving Voice Festival 2015 and new work A Sonic Return to the Source, 2018
- Director/composer/trainer Persephone and the Kinetic Choir, developing a working group in the ACT practice with a view to a collaboration with Diazoma (Greece) produced by Opera Viscera in residence at The Old Truman Brewery, London 2017
- Leader Day and Night World Music Collective working with traditional and original folk songs from around the world. Every gig is unique as all the songs are learned, arranged and performed live in one day and one night. Core collaborators include renowned storyteller Rachel Rose Reid and rapper Dizraeli, 2011 - present
- Director National Theatre of Scotland’s Diaspora, Archetypes in Shakespeare with Pamela Prather (Yale School of Drama) and Christopher Sivertsen (Song of the Goat), touring workshops across USA and Europe, 2012
- Director Act SEX! Student project and performance exploring issues around gender through Ibsen’s plays. Volda University College, Norway, 2011
- Fully documented Theatre and Music Exchange with selected artists and musicians from the Shadipur Artists Ghetto, Delhi as a means to develop the music for Romeo and Juliet for an India based British Council production project, 2010
- The Sensorium: Psychophysiological Evaluation of Responses to a Multimodal Neurofeedback Environment with Thilo Hintenberger at University of Northampton to investigate the actor’s process through electronically mediated scenes from Gardzienice’s Electra, 2009
- Guest Director British Grotowski Project: Traces with guest leaders Ian Morgan (RADA) and Jade Maravala (Zecora Ura), residential workshop and symposium directed by Paul Allain, University of Kent, 2007
- I-Thou Project Research and Development funded by Exeter University, exploration into relation and presence and the meeting of cross-disciplinary practices with Prof. Rebecca Loukes, 2007
- Presence through voice 5 day workshop & exchange with Anna Zubrzycka, Maria Sendow at Song of the Goat theatre, Wroclaw, Poland 2015
- Theatre Exchange funded by Arts Council England to research cross disciplinary exchange to evolve new performance practices with Rebecca Loukes and Cassie Friend, inaugurating Moon Fool - International Theatre and Music Exchange Organisation, 2004
- Chronicles: A Lamentation 2 week performance practice exchange with Song of the Goat theatre (Piesn Kozla) directed by Grzegorz Bral, Brzezinka, Poland 1999
- Iphigenia 2 week laboratory exchange with Grzegorz Bral, Anna Zubrzycka, produced by Alison Hodge, filmed by Arts Archives Exeter, London
CONFERENCE PAPERS/PRESENTATIONS:
- Inanna - The Technology of Myth multi-mode live presentation of research as part of EVA London Conference, 2019
- Co-presentation Migrations of/in music theatre: Global, Regional, Local Movements as part of IFTR conference in Serbia exploring Theatre, Nation and Identity: Between Migration and Stasis with Demetris Zavros of University of Wolverhampton, 2018
- Persephone a practice as research presentation and multi-modal lecture for Diazoma conference bringing contemporary performance practices to revive ancient sites and as a result invited to perform in the Amphitheatre at Messini by Petros Themelis, Athens, 2017
- Rewilding across disciplines: an interdisciplinary symposium with special guests, film screening and performances, A multi-modal solo lecture-presentation of STORM the performance as research with discussion, 2016
- Laboratory Theatre Network: Big conversations in little rooms: 100 years of solitude research conference, produced by CPR, directed by Richard Gough. A multi-modal solo lecture-presentation of STORM the performance-as-research, taking departure from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, 2015
- Women in Devising - A Conference, directed by Jackie Smart and Alex Mermikides at Kingston University. A work-in-progress showcase of Titania - A Solo Cabaret and conference with Naomi Said, Imogen Knight, Kirsty Housley, Wendy Houstoun and Arti Prashar, 2013
ARTICLES:
- Author The Act of Listening: Gardzienice’s Mutuality Training and The ACTing Voice Theatre, Dance and Performance Training Special issue. 10 (3), 2019. TaPRA award nominated in 2021.
- Contributor The always-not-yet / always-already of voice perception: training towards vocal presence Time and Performer Training Evans, M. Thomaidis, K. and Worth, L. eds. Routledge, 2019
- Contributor Doing What Comes Naturally? Women and Devising in the UK Today. In: Women and Collective Creation Mermikides, A. and Smart, J. Palgrave, 2015
- Contributor Singing from Stones: Physiovocality and Gardzienice’s Theater of Musicality Thomaidis, K In: Gestures of Music Theater: The performativity of song and dance. London: Oxford University Press, 2014
- Author Theatre: Coming of Age. On devising, international exchange and community collaboration, with Smart, J. (University of Kingston) Total Theatre Magazine, 2014
- Co-author Listen… The Actor–Chorus–Text Summer Residency with director/practitioner, Anna-Helena McLean, with Nair, A. In: Reviews, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 2012
- Contributor Hidden Territories: The Theatre of Gardzienice Staniewski, W. with Hodge, A. [DVD]. London: Routledge, 2004
INVITED SPEAKER/MENTOR:
- WOW talks: Words of Wisdom directed by Gal Stiglitz. WOW Talks delivers engaging live events and online video content that inspires people to reconnect with their WHY – their purpose - so they can attain greater fulfilment in their professional lives, London, 2013
FURTHER MUSIC COLLABORATIONS:
As a cellist, composer, session musician and singer Anna-Helena McLean has worked with some of the world’s leading music artists including:
Jocelyn Pook (Eyes Wide Shut), Jason Singh & Lisa Knapp (UK), Theodossi Spasow (Bulgaria), Dizraeli (Rowan Sawday), Eoin Duignan & Tony Small (Ireland), Terez Sliman & Yazan Ibrahim (Palestine), Pallavi Arun (India), Perunika Trio (Serbia/Bulgaria), Rima Fand & Sarah Alden (USA), OKO (Berlin)
She has toured with bands including:
Quietly Torn (produced by Porl Thompson), Megan Wyler (produced by Soundtree Music/Peter Raeburn), Hydra Vocal Trio (NYC), From the Well (Celebrating Sanctuary, SOAS), Tarankhan (produced by Eugenio Bennato, Taranta Power Festival Calabria), Luminescent Orchestrii (USA) with Sxip Shirey (LIMBO, Sydney Opera House), Faun Fables (USA), Le Trio Perdu (Antwerp)
She is currently in a cello duo called 'Phosphera'. Together with Rachel Dawson she is working to build an immersive sound experience interweaving the stories of forgotten women through history with scores of lived experience in nature.
OTHER RELATED WORK:
- Composer/Musician Depths an audio immersive story read by James Sobell Kelly and written by Dan Horrigan of Dan Horrigan Film and Theatre Productions
- Cellist/Singer Bloom Britannia Group performance (25 people) A new ‘People’s Opera’ by Orlando Gough, directed by Polly Graham, 2019
- Composer/Musician Wild Country Solo performance, directed by Kirsty Housley (Complicite), 2019
- Composer/Conductor Medusa Group performance (25 people), produced by Boe Huntress (Union Chapel), London, 2018
- Director/Composer Richard III Group performance (8 people), based on Shakespeare’s original. Developing a new physical theatre and music performance language with able and disabled actors, produced by Aegis Productions Athena Stevens (Olivier Nominated 2019), 2010
- Shiver and Shiver 2 new films and a performance research project. Produced and directed by Barry Edwards (Brunel University), Video and sound by Ben Jarlett, Shunt Lounge, London, 2007
- Opera Circus Research and Development. Workshop with Frankie Armstrong, Kathryn Hunter, 2008
- Director/Trainer Hector developing a new physical theatre and music performance language with able and disabled actors, produced by Athena Stevens (Aegis Productions). Sadler’s Wells, London, 2008
- Arthur Cravan and Mina Loy Research and Development with Sandy Grierson (Vanishing Point Theatre, RSC), produced by Cumbernauld Theatre and The Arches, Scotland, 2006
- The Wright School workshop with John Wright, 2004