Workshops
I have a special interest in training conductors, working with the social dimensions of stories and bringing more artistry to the playback stage, but I can custom design a workshop to meet the specific needs of Playback Theatre groups. All my workshops are available in 1- or 2-day formats.
Here's some information about three of the workshops I offer:
1. Solid as Rock and Flowing like Water: on conducting in Playback Theatre
Conducting a playback theatre performance is complicated! At the heart of the role is the art of group leadership, which involves meeting the needs of each moment, as well as attending to the different needs of tellers, performers and the audience. With so much going on, how do we create atmosphere, build rapport and hold an inclusive and safe space? And how can we also be spontaneous, curious, sensitive and vulnerable? When is it time to be like a rock, and when is it better to be like water?
In this workshop our exploration of the conductor’s role occurs in the context of the arc of a performance and with reference to the elements of narrative reticulation: story, guidance, atmosphere and spontaneity. There’ll be plenty of opportunities to practise in the role, as well as to tell stories and perform on our stage. Participants will leave the workshop with a deeper understanding of the role, but the workshop is not just for those who already conduct stories in rehearsals or performances. Everyone in playback benefits from a better understanding the complexity of the conductor’s job!
2. The Stories of Some of Us: on the social dimension of stories in Playback Theatre
In Playback Theatre, we hear unique, personal stories, and sometimes those stories also have universal themes that resonate with our audiences. But in every audience there sits another kind of story - those that are shaped by the teller’s social identities and the social forces that have shaped their lives.
Those narratives are not just personal but nor are they universal. They are instead, the stories of only "some of us" (Freeman and Halley), which sit at the intersection of personal experience and social reality. They inhabit a unique space, often reflecting contexts of inequality and injustice (such as racism and sexism), systemic disadvantage and collective trauma. When those stories speak of suffering, that conceptual transformation - from personal to social - more fairly distributes the burden of shame and responsibility away from the individual and toward the systems that produced the conditions of harm.
What ethical considerations must we grapple with if our purpose includes the recognition of injustice and the amplification of excluded and silenced voices and communities? What kind of awareness, and what kind of creative approaches help us to embody those stories? And what does a commitment to social awareness mean for our practice, our companies and the Playback Theatre community?
In this workshop, we'll:
- Work with the social dimensions of our own stories.
- Delve into the concept and practice of sociological imagination.
- Learn to identify and highlight the social contexts of stories, conducting and performing them in ways that are ethical, meaningful, aesthetically rich, and culturally sensitive.
- Discover how Playback Theatre can amplify the voices of those "who suffer and are not heard" (Fox and Dauber, 1999).
3. Building Artistic Expression in Playback Theatre
In this weekend workshop we explore the art of acting on the Playback stage.
Often, Playback actors simply replicate and amplify the actions, facts, thoughts and feelings described by the teller. Those techniques alone rarely deliver a transformative experience. In this workshop, we learn to respond to stories in more creative, evocative, resonant and aesthetically satisfying ways. The aim is to improve our listening skills and, as we play with familiar and new forms, learn to integrate language and movement to go beyond literality to make a more artful and meaningful connection with each story. Whether you are an experienced practitioner or relatively new to Playback Theatre, this workshop invites you to expand your repertoire, challenge your assumptions, and embrace the potential of more poetic storytelling. Join this journey of exploration, discovery, and transformation, where participants will feel free to explore their unique artistic voices.
(This workshop can be co-facilitated by Elsa Maurício Childs)
Past Workshops 2024-2025
The Stories of Some of Us: on the social dimension of stories in Playback Theatre
Vilnius, Lithuania on 7-8 September 2024
Helsinki, Finland on 31 August-1 September 2024
Berlin, Germany on 24-25 May 2025
London, UK, on 17 May 2025
Hong Kong on 28-29 June 2025
Solid as rock and flowing like water: on the art of conducting
Berlin, Germany on 14-15 September 2024
Turin, Italy on 21-22 September 2024
London, UK, on 18 May 2025
Hong Kong on 21-22 June 2025
The Sound of Words Without a Voice: Unlocking Artistic and Poetic Expression in Playback Theatre
Athens, Greece (with Elsa Mauricio Childs) on 28-29 September 2024
Building Artistic Expression in Playback Theatre
Sofia, Bulgaria 9 & 12 May 2025
Den Haag, Nederland 14 & 15 June 2025
In 2024 I also led workshops at the Iberian Playback Theatre Gathering and the Two Islands (UK/Ireland) Gathering, and a workshop for Wij Spelen Jouw Verhaal in Amsterdam.