2:00pm – 5:00pm: The Actor's Tune-Up: Techniques from Ancient Indian Theatre with Akshaya Pattanayak

In this workshop on 'Ancient Indian Theatre', participants will learn techniques on how to tap into emotions using breath patterns and gestures. It is an exploration of 'Rasas' meaning flavour and taste. These practises originate from the 'Natyashastra'. The session will begin with an elaborate voice and movement warm-up for the first half. After building an ensemble and an open instrument, we will gather and explore the emotion and breath patterns, which can lead into an improv and create foundations for character work.

Bring clothes you can move in and something to take notes.

6:30pm – 9:30pm: Beginner Puppetry for Actors with Jeny Cassady

Puppets are just smaller, fuzzier actors - teaching puppetry to actors means we don't have to spend time learning about things like intentions, stage directions, or the importance of listening - so for this class we will be focusing specifically on puppetry technique.

We will be working exclusively with hand and rod puppets.

This class will cater to those who have had no puppetry training or experience, but will also be useful to those who have had some experience and wish to brush up on their skills and techniques. We will work our way through the basics, moving quickly through many layers of techniques - Jeny will arm you with favourite cheats and tricks to instantly make YOUR puppet style stand out.

2:00pm - 5:00pm: Bringing Your Own Voice to Shakespeare with Alana Hawley-Purvis

Join Bard on the Beach vocal coach Alana Hawley Purvis in exploring how to find clarity and personal connection to Shakespearean text. Explore tools that will enable you to approach and deliver Shakespeare in a way that resonates authentically with you and with your audience while still honouring the poetry inherent in the work.

6:30pm – 9:30pm: Fights, Falls, and Friendship: Safe and Effective Stage Combat with Mike Kovac & Sylvie la Riviere 

A dive into the world of Stage Combat. Gain confidence and experience as you grow from using your own individual physicality into telling stories involving other people and their own unique abilities. If all storytelling involves conflict then there's a number of ways we can tell that - we can sing, talk, dance... but why not fight about it?

Participants should bring runners or otherwise comfortable footwear, water and clothes they can move in.

2:00pm – 5:00pm: Beyond the Muppets! Three Person and Object Puppetry with Stephanie Elgersma  

This workshop will cover the basics of puppetry and the core skills needed to bring a puppet to life. This includes a brief introduction to different styles of puppetry, exploring the relationship between the puppeteer and the puppet (with special interest in object puppetry), learning the foundational principles of puppetry, and working with multiple puppeteers to bring a puppet to life. Participants will leave the workshop with a more comfortable relationship with the world of puppetry and a better understanding of how to approach a puppet for an audition or a performance. 

2:00pm - 5:00pm: Monologue Session 1

In these sessions, a limited number of actors will work in-depth on Shakespeare monologues. Each actor will have approximately 20 minutes of one-on-one workshop time while the rest of the group is present to support their work.

6:30 - 9:30pm: ARTrepreneurship - The 'Art of Business' in the Business of Art with Jill Raymond

It's the part of being an artist that very few want to think about, and even fewer know the practicalities of - how to balance the very real business side of being an artist. In this interactive workshop, JillRaymond will lead presentations and discussions in how to become an ARTrepreneur, including time management/scheduling and accountability, building and maintaining an online presence, the dreaded 'social mediaaaaargh' piece, marketing and communications, and sharing a wealth of tools which participants will be able to build on. Whether you are an emerging artist, an established theatre creator, or have any business related to the arts, this workshop will provide insights and tips on how you can better your business practices.

Jill Raymond is a performer, writer, producer, educator, and ARTrepreneur, for more info head to www.jillraymond.com/artrepreneur

Participants should bring a laptop/tablet for looking at websites and/or notepad to take notes.

6:30 - 9:30: Decolonizing Eurocentric Theatre with Indigenous Storytelling with Damion LeClair

This session will help actors from all backgrounds , regardless of indigenous heritage or ancestry, discover new forms of theatrical storytelling and devised creation that they have not experienced before in a eurocentric setting. A precedence will be set on the importance of storytelling in our communities, these aren't "just stories" but essential ways of communicating the recollection of our memories. The actor must always be translating, transforming, transposing and negotiating.

11:00am - 2:00pm: A Jumping Off Point: Exploring Collective Creation Methods Through Poetry with Larisse Campbell

In this workshop, we will use poetry (both found and group-created) as a jumping off point to explore ways into collective creation. Our goal will be to create group scenes from the explorations and discussion we undertake.

2:00pm - 5:00pm: Monologue Session 2

In these sessions, a limited number of actors will work in-depth on Shakespeare monologues. Each actor will have approximately 20 minutes of one-on-one workshop time while the rest of the group is present to support their work.

6:30pm - 9:30pm: Resonating with Shakespeare - Approaching the Text Using Lessac Voice Work with Cathy Wilmot

In this 3-hour workshop we will explore three facets of Arthur Lessacs work: Radiancy, Buoyancy and Potency using resonance in a Shakespeare monologue or Sonnet.

Please bring a short text (1-2 minutes long) and be prepared to explore it in multiple ways.

This experimental workshop will call on your imagination and the choices you make in real time. Be prepared to perform alone and with others. The session may include hands-on work, individual work, pair work and group work.

2:00pm – 5:00pm: Theatre Show Control & Sound System Integration with Kyra Soko 

In this workshop, you’ll learn the basics of Qlab Show Control. Our focus will be on how to integrate, sync and control various tech departments while pulling off a very tech-heavy show with many moving pieces. If you’re a stage manager, technician, designer, or a multidisciplinary artist looking to branch out, this session is for you.

Note: This session covers some more-advanced technical content and will best serve participants with a background in production. 

6:30 - 9:30pm: Monologue Session 3

In these sessions, a limited number of actors will work in-depth on Shakespeare monologues. Each actor will have approximately 20 minutes of one-on-one workshop time while the rest of the group is present to support their work.

6:30pm – 9:30pm: Intro to The Fine Art of Physical Comedy & Clowning with Gordon White 

If you're called an "idiot" in this workshop‚ it's a compliment! Cultivate your funny bone while you eliminate the 4th Wall and connect with the audience. Through the exploration of character, physical comedy, and playing "in the moment", this seriously fun workshop will focus on expanding the actors' comfort zone and highlight the benefits of taking creative risks. 

Bring a water bottle and clothes you can move in.

2:00 - 5:00pm: Critical Response Process: How to Give and Receive Effective Feedback with Brian Postalian & Joyce Rosario 

liz lerman's Critical Response Process (CRP) is a feedback system based on the principle that the best possible outcome of a response session is for the maker to want to go back to work. Whether you're laboring on a painting or designing a website, drafting a lecture or composing a score, CRP helps you get fresh and useful feedback from peers, laypeople, and experts alike, while giving you the tools to do the same for others' work. Through the supportive structure of its four core steps, CRP combines the power of questions with the focus and challenge of informed dialogue. In use for over 25 years, CRP has been embraced by art makers, educators, scientists, and theater companies, dance departments, orchestras, laboratories, conservatories, museums, universities, corporations, and kindergartens. With a focus on actual works in progress – a dance, a script, a lecture, visual art work, even a cake – this training will highlight participation, conversation, and the flexibility of the Process. 

Participants should bring a notebook and something to write with. 

6:30 - 9:30pm: Stage Directing with a Method with Cristiana Ripeanu

The session will offer participants the opportunity to practice concepts of directing and staging by analyzing and planning the staging of 3 - 5 different scenes from Shakespeare's plays (number of scenes to be determined depending on the number of participants). The participants will work in group with guidance from the workshop facilitator and will present their staging concept to the whole group at the end of the session. This is a practice-oriented workshop, drawing on the learnings from Cristiana Ripeanu’s previous workshop, but previous participation will not be necessary.

2:00 - 5:00: Alexander Technique as an Embodied Approach to Warming Up with Gabriella Minnes-Brandes

Do you have a warm-up routine? What does your warm-up look like? Do you always do the same routines? How do you work on voice and movement in preparation for working with text? What is your repertoire of warm up activities? Do you know how, why, and when they work? Are you curious about new approaches to warming up before working on text or character? FM Alexander reminds us that we are the instrument. Alexander Technique provides tools to be present and in the moment. These qualities enable us to grow, inspire, act, listen and learn from each other. The principles of the Alexander Technique allow us to meet everyone where they are at and invite each one of us to go on a journey of learning about ourselves as artists. We become aware of our habits, learn about efficiency of movement and how to make choices to move away from auto-pilot reactions to stimuli. We will create opportunities to explore different choices available to us through observation of breath, movement and sound.

In this workshop, we will review Alexander Technique concepts of awareness, choices, coordination and use in the context of finding a variety of ways to warm up, to prepare for the unexpected, to be ready to explore and experiment. We will find ways to explore movement, breath, and voice as we spark our imagination.

Please bring a short text (1-2 minutes long) and be prepared to share how you would warm up for that text and be prepared to try out different ways to approach the text, your voice, breath and movement.

This experimental workshop will call on your imagination and choices you make in real time. Be prepared to perform alone and with others. The session may include hands-on work, individual work, pair work and group work.

Come to the workshop with some text to work on, a yoga mat and a book to lie down on the floor.

6:30pm - 9:3opm: Monologue Session 4

In these sessions, a limited number of actors will work in-depth on Shakespeare monologues. Each actor will have approximately 20 minutes of one-on-one workshop time while the rest of the group is present to support their work.

6:30 - 9:30: Creative Movement with Mario Matias

Mario's creative movement class is designed to help artists develop a foundation for story-telling through movement and music connection. Using elements from choreography and freestyle, this class is perfect for actors who want to delve into dance to further their artistry and storytelling.

Bring a water bottle and clothes you can move in.

2:00 - 5:00pm: The Craft of Spoken Word Poetry with Anjalica Solomon

Unlock the power of your voice and delve into the mesmerizing realm of spoken word poetry with Anjalica in "The Craft of Spoken Word Poetry" workshop. This immersive experience invites participants to explore the artistry and techniques that breathe life into impactful spoken word performances.
Anjalica, a seasoned poet, lyricist, and performer, will guide you through the intricacies of crafting compelling narratives and delivering them with authenticity and emotion. From writing through the body, harnessing the rhythm of language to exploring the nuances of performance, participants will learn to channel their unique voices into resonant, unforgettable spoken word pieces.
Whether you're a seasoned wordsmith or just beginning your poetic journey, this workshop offers a supportive space to refine your skills, experiment with poetic forms, and discover the transformative potential of spoken word. Join Anjalica on this creative journey, where words come alive and poetry becomes a powerful tool for self-expression and connection.

Bring something you can write with.

6:30 - 9:30pm: FOOLS PROOF with Nayana Fielkov

This workshop is an invitation to expand and develop play and personal presence on stage and in everyday life.
Through a series of experiential awareness building games and exercises, we will cultivate curiosity, explore emotional range and practice the bravery of sharing our willingness and openness. Through following the body and our impulses, we can be in delight with the discovery of the moment.

In this workshop we will:
*Laugh A LOT
*Practice emotional range in order to widen possibilities of freedom with agency
*Practice simplicity to discover honesty and detail in what is funny
*Explore extension of impulse to become familiar with the edges of what is possible
*Work with tempo, rhythm, space, tensegrity, shape and form to gain agency in the body as a tool
*Discover by witnessing and practicing what generates laughter
*Widen tools and possibilities for generating content and inspiration
Perfect for performers and non-performers, dancers, actors, musicians, storytellers, and anyone interested in building their personal presence and sensory awareness in performance and everyday life! Taught in English with Gibberish subtitles.
"If I were a fool, I'd know exactly what to do"

Participants should bring loose comfortable clothing for movement; the facilitator suggests layers for temperature changes.

2:00 - 5:00pm: The Art of Performing with Brenda Leadlay

The Art of Performing with Brenda Leadlay is a physical training experience for actors, dancers and other performing artists who want to play between the boundaries of form and formlessness - structure and freedom - and break free of human tendencies that get in the way of creative invention.
The work is based in ‘plastiques’ - a methodology developed by Polish theatre director Jerzy Grotowski.* Plastiques are simply physical isolations - movement explorations of each body part in every direction it can move – integrated with full-body gestures. The plastiques evoke body memory, feelings, images and sound that surprise the performer. The work ecourages emotional risk-taking, dynamic expression and breath-based movement directed from internal impulses. It builds heightened awareness and confidence that gives people the freedom be who they are in a safe, supportive and fun environment.
Identifying and responding to impulse is at the heart of the exploration and an external key to help bring your emotional life into your work. The workshop also investigates physical and vocal practices to build group dynamics, spatial awareness, improvisational skills and rhythm.

6:30 - 9:30pm: Introduction to Disability Justice with Amy Amantea

In this workshop participants will learn about key concepts related to the disability experience, for example: inspiration porn, spoon theory, crip time, bio certification – how these things relate to the experience. We will also explore dignified language and ableist microaggressions in order to better understand the harm that language can do.
Amy Amantea, Artist/Creator and Accessibility Consultant and Strategist, shares that "It is my belief that if we want to make our spaces more inclusive, it starts with understanding these concepts and language. We can make spaces accessible, but if people don’t feel included and dignified, we are not building relationships with the disability community. All of these skills will help participants be better allies. If individual artists can become allies and work on accessibility from the start of their individual projects, there would be a lot more accessible content for PwD to choose from."