Act-ED Performing Arts - Drama Workshops - Teacher Training

Specialised TV Drama & Performing Arts Workshops

For information on any workshop please contact:
workshop@act-ed.co.uk or Tel: 01702 352007

Industry Member

Act-ed Workshops	9 WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE
Specialised TV Drama workshop	An Introduction to Pantomime	Stage Fighting & Stunt Work Workshop
Vocal Skills Workshop	Stanislavski Workshop	Meisner Technique Acting Workshop
Actions And Words A Master Class	Creative Writing	TEACHER TRAINING Creative and Media

Specialised TV Drama workshop
We will send you an Episode of a popular TV Drama which has already been screened. We will then send an extremely experienced workshop leader who has extensive experience of working on TV Drama together with a camera operator and sound equipment. We will then shoot selected scenes from the TV Drama using your Performing Arts Students to play the various roles and also work as crew. We can work with 40 students over the course of the day, 20 in the morning session and 20 in the afternoon. At the end of the workshop we have a question and answer session about working in the TV Industry. All of the footage that has been shot is then given to the students to edit together providing ongoing opportunities for learning the editing process. click for Testimonials For information on any workshop please contact us at workshop@act-ed.co.uk or Tel:01702 352007.

An Introduction to Pantomime Bespoke Workshops.
One day or Two day workshops, tailored to suit all ages and activities from 6 years upward incorporating the study/history/techniques and terminology of Pantomime through a uniquely constructed series of Physical/vocal & characterisation games and exercises. These are geared to suit any particular requirements you may have and will culminate in the devising of short pieces based on existing Folk and Fairy Tales.

The Areas we can cover include:

The origins of Pantomime Mime/Animals Experiences and Memories Props

Conventions Basic Make-up (two day workshop) Audience Participation Quick Change/Jokes/Puns

Games/Trust Exercises Dame Speeches/Chase Scenes Characterisation/Stock Characters A Comic Fight Sequence

Slapstick/Physical Theatre Front Cloth Scenes Using the Voice Comic Sound Effects

Creating Songs & Dances Chorus and Juveniles Students Devised Short Pieces

click for Testimonials


The workshop will be led by professional Director/Actress Sally Millest [click for her CV] and Actor/Writer John Henry Keating [click for his CV] both of whom have a wealth of experience as industry professionals. For information on any workshop please contact us at workshop@act-ed.co.uk or Tel:01702 352007. <<< Back to top
Stage Fighting & Stunt Work Workshop
	Many Schools and Colleges who are staging their own productions will need to have an understanding of "Stage Combat". In this workshop we demonstrate how to safely arrange various stage combat routines. This is not only a huge amount of fun for your Drama/Performing Arts Students but also terrific exercise as an hours stage combat is the equivalent of an hour or so in the Gym. This will also help to promote team building between students as mutual "trust" is very important when carrying out these routines and safety is of course paramount. We will send two experienced facilitators to you for the day who can work with a maximum of 40 students over the course of the day. For information on any workshop please contact us at workshop@act-ed.co.uk or Tel:01702 352007. <<< Back to top

Vocal Skills Workshop
	Mel Churcher is one of the World's leading Vocal Coaches: Mel was Head of Voice at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre from 1996-2007, possibly one of the most challenging environments for performers to work in, vocally. She is also a renowned Acting & Dialogue coach who has worked with many top directors whose impressive list of film credits includes 'Control', 'Unleashed', 'The Fifth Element', 'Snatch' and 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'. Her theatrical voice and text work includes The Royal Shakespeare Company at The Barbican, Shakespeare's Globe, Manchester Royal Exchange, The Young Vic and The Royal Court. Leading actors she has worked with include Daniel Craig, Ioan Gruffud, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mila Jovovich, Angelina Jolie, Jessica Lange, Keira Knightly, Jon Voight and Ray Winstone. Mel delivers an invaluable in depth workshop which will help improve both vocal skills & vocal health, immeasurably for both Teachers and of course Performing Arts Students For information on any workshop please contact us at workshop@act-ed.co.uk or Tel:01702 352007. <<< Back to top


Stanislavski Workshop
Our aim with these workshops is to increase students interest in the subject of drama and in particular, their knowledge and understanding of the methods of one of it's most legendary practitioners and in so doing, to help realise their full potential. The workshops are very flexible and as such are designed to allow for the student's varying ages, experience and abilities. These will determine how deeply we delve into certain areas; however, the basic outline of the workshops will include: A brief explanation as to who Stanislavski was and his teachings:- a more detailed outline can be given to students at the end for further reading/research, if required. Characterisation. Avoiding cliché. Emotion memory (sensory; memory of past experiences; triggers). "Blind improvisation". Living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. If time permits we will also work on dramatic scenes with the students. Our aim is to make students feel more confident with their abilities, to help give them a structure with their characterisation work and, most importantly, to enjoy it and have fun, as we feel they will surely gain more from their studies if they do. The workshops will cover: the work of a major practitioner; developing dramatic techniques; enhancing performance skills; evaluating one's own work and that of others; and freeing oneself to fully commit to improvisation… These are all pertinent to units for GCSE, A Level & beyond. Ideally, we would recommend groups of no more than around 30 students at one time. We can, however, do 2 workshops in one day. For information on any workshop please contact us at workshop@act-ed.co.uk or Tel:01702 352007. <<< Back to top

Meisner Technique Acting Workshop
This workshop is taken by Teri Levett. Follow this link for [Teri Levett CV] Sanford Meisner was judged to be one of the greatest acting teachers of the 20th century. His approach to acting technique has its foundations built solidly within the workings of Stanislavski. Too often, acting is supposedly taught within Stanislavski's principles yet focuses on his earlier teachings. However, Stanislavski was evaluating and developing his methods for over thirty years and Sanford Meisner correctly taught what Stanislavsi concluded much later on in his career. The importance of acting on impulse, emotional and dramatic truth, and introduction to The Meisner Technique which is a step by step approach to bring a vivid authenticity to the theatrical roles we play, will be covered in this workshop. Participants will be working in pairs and we ask that they bring in some dualogues which both performers are familiar with although dualogues will also be provided by the workshop leaders. "It is a lucky director who gets to work with a Meisner trained actor" Elia Kazan "For anybody who wants to act or even appreciate what acting involves. Meisner is the straight goods" Arthur Miller "If there is a key to good acting then this one is it, above all others" Gregory Peck For information on any workshop please contact us at workshop@act-ed.co.uk or Tel:01702 352007. <<< Back to top

ACTIONS AND WORDS - A Master Class
John Adams M.A. has over forty years experience as a professional theatre, musical, opera and radio director. He has been Artistic Director of the Bolton Octagon, the Birmingham Rep and the Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke. Actors he has worked with include James Bolam, Kenneth Branagh, Joseph Fiennes, Anthony Sher and John Gielgud. He has always encouraged new theatre writing, and is founder and was first Artistic Director of Britain's leading new writing company Paines Plough. Writers he has worked closely with include Anthony Minghella, Derek Walcott, David Lodge, Stephen Jeffreys and Terry Johnson. He has taught in many of Britain's leading drama schools, including RADA, Guildhall, The Welsh College and Birmingham School of Acting. He has presented this workshop in Russia, France and (most recently) for directing students at Birkbeck, where the course director, Rob Swain, said “Fantastic! Amazingly witty and wise, and a great and enjoyable learning experience for all my students”. Creating a Company, Empowering Actors, Mining Text. A full day Master Class suitable for groups of 8 to 20 students. The interactive workshop with John Adams will demonstrate modern techniques which facilitate the creative process in theatre, opera and musical theatre. It is ideal for potential directors, actors and writers - and students wanting to observe and experience practical methods of encouraging creativity in the performing arts. Morning Session (2½ hours). Creating a company from a group of strangers of differing skills and requirements. Welcome, greet and put the group at ease, making use of: The Virtuous Circle. The Magic Card Game. The Killing Name Game. Musical Chairs. By the end of this session, the group should have become a company able to work creatively and supportively in the second session. Afternoon Session (3½ hours - more if needed for a larger group) Leading the company into creating an event. Actions into a chosen text (classical and modern) for: Creating a character. Finding the heart of the work. Digging out detail and encouraging surprise Developing methods of creativity and performance. This session employs the practical Stanislavskian technique of Actioning, as created by Max Stafford Clark, and developed by John Adams and many modern writers and directors. For information on any workshop please contact us at workshop@act-ed.co.uk or Tel:01702 352007. <<< Back to top

Creative Writing Workshop taken by Elizabeth Heery. Follow this link for Elizabeth Heery CV Using a prepared text these workshops will demonstrate how a writer finds ideas for creative writing. This model can be adapted for use in other writing genres, eg prose, poetry, scripts. Primary School Years Five and Six. The writer, Elizabeth Heery, wrote the play Hilda Runs Away From the Circus at a week long residence run by Polka Theatre. The fortyfive minute/hour workshop will begin with Elizabeth talking about what she does, what area of writing she has worked in and is currently involved with. Then using scenes from the text which the students will already have read, she will show how she came to find the ideas in the play drawing from her own experiences and others. She will then ask the students to volunteer information about themselves, real or imagined, and using that information the class will construct a story verbally. This will involve each pupil. She will then go back to the text and ask them to think about what might happen next if they were to continue to write the story, how to organise their ideas. Finally, there will be a Q and A session where students would have an open forum to ask Elizabeth about any area of creative writing they wish. Secondary School The secondary school workshops would follow the same model as the primary schools but using a more sophisticated text to demonstrate ideas: Short film ‘Ted’ written by Elizabeth Heery, shown on BBC1. For information on any workshop please contact us at workshop@act-ed.co.uk or Tel:01702 352007. <<< Back to top


Teacher Training Days Creative and Media We are now offerring Staff Development Days for Teachers delivering the Creative and Media Diploma. We will send you an episode of the popular TV Drama "The Bill" and then travel to your LEA and carry out a days Training Day with your Teachers. We will show them how to shoot scenes from a popular TV Drama on a single camera. The Workshop Leader will be Nigel Payn, one of the Country's leading 1st Assistant Directors who is currently working on "The Bill". Nigel was responsible for helping to set up and run the ITV Directors Course where he trained young trainee Directors to become fully fledged TV Drama Directors. Nigel will be accompanied by a camera operator and a very experienced TV Performer who will work on Acting to Camera techniques. The workshop will give an understanding about where to position the camera, eyelines, reverses, the Master Shot, Crossing the Line, and sound. At the end of the day we will hold a Q&A about working in the industry, career pathways and how to train. We recently carried out this Staff Development Day for Derby Education Business Partnership and received the following feedback from them. "...........I wanted to say Thank You to you all for a fabulous learning opportunity for our Teachers, one of them remarked that it was the most exciting training she had had in her 11 years of teaching!......." For information on any workshop please contact us at workshop@act-ed.co.uk or Tel:01702 352007. <<< Back to top

Contact: Tel: 01702 352007 Email info@act-ed.co.uk
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The Areas we can cover include:
The origins of Pantomime	Mime/Animals	Experiences and Memories	Props
Conventions	Basic Make-up (two day workshop)	Audience Participation	Quick Change/Jokes/Puns
Games/Trust Exercises	Dame Speeches/Chase Scenes	Characterisation/Stock Characters	A Comic Fight Sequence
Slapstick/Physical Theatre	Front Cloth Scenes	Using the Voice	Comic Sound Effects
Creating Songs & Dances	Chorus and Juveniles	Students Devised Short Pieces

Specialised TV Drama workshop

click for Testimonials

An Introduction to PantomimeBespoke Workshops.

click for Testimonials

Stage Fighting & Stunt Work Workshop

Vocal Skills Workshop

Stanislavski Workshop

Meisner Technique Acting Workshop

ACTIONS AND WORDS - A Master Class

Creating a Company, Empowering Actors, Mining Text.

Creative Writing

Teacher Training Days Creative and Media

An Introduction to Pantomime
Bespoke Workshops.