There is a middle, a balancing centre from which we can move in any direction physically, vocally and emotionally.

In this workshop we’ll zoom in and out of creative tension to learn more about our vocal habits, befriending what we’ve come to rely on, while cultivating the skill of returning to grounded effortlessness in our embodiment - an unstuck place full of choice, and spontaneous possibilities.
Through singing/movement explorations and the alexander technique process we’ll collaborate with our body instrument and anatomical design to deepen our relationship between breath impulse, voice and body. We’ll build healthy vocal technique and ease in movement so that we can both sing and move, and sing and act at the same time without sacrificing character or musical style. All are welcome, whether you dread being asked to sing, or you need the stamina to get through many shows a week.

Please bring along a mat for floorwork and wear clothes that are comfortable to move and breathe in.

6:00pm - 9:00pm: Dramaturgy and Shakespearean Structure with Stephen Drover

This workshop will explore dramatic structure and how it can inform artistic process. Participants will consider well-known stories (as found in songs, movies, and plays) and how they are composed. We will then analyze the shape of a Shakespeare play and how his recurring and reliable dramaturgy can be used to inform directing a production, building a character, or speaking a speech.

If you own a Complete Works of Shakespeare, bring it to this session! If not, there will be copies available.

2:00pm - 5:00pm: Embodying Character: A Contemporary Dance Workshop for Actors with Robin Herron

This workshop introduces actors to contemporary dance, contact improvisation, and somatic movement as practical tools for character development. Participants work with breath, weight, and spatial awareness to cultivate grounded, intentional physical choices. Through guided solo and partner exercises, actors learn to respond physically with clarity, presence, and connection. No dance experience required.

Wear comfortable long-sleeve shirts and pants, as we will be sliding on the floor. Please bring a short monologue or a poem connected to your character, preferably memorized.

6:00pm - 9:00pm: Examining the Uta Hagen Technique with Damion LeClair

Using two of Uta Hagen's acting exercises, ( Object Exercise/Nine Questions) actors will delve into the world of their character and experiment through improvisational exercises, ending with a final culmination of what they learned through a performance of their monologue of choice.

Please prepare: A Contemporary or Classic 1-2 minute monologue, and bring a few simple objects/props for the object exercise (something to complete a task you do every day, for example: make breakfast, make coffee, picking an outfit, putting on shoes etc). We want to avoid pantomiming as much as possible!

6:00pm - 9:00pm: Monologue Session 1 with Alana Hawley-Purvis

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.

2:00pm - 5:00pm: Something That Wasn’t There Before: Starting Your Next New Play with Elio Zarillo

Take part in Elio's New-Play-Idea Boot Camp, an intensive, three-hour creative lab designed to push you past the intimidation of the blank page and ignite your next big idea. Through this guided, scaffolded and highly generative writing exercise, you will jumpstart the momentum you've been craving, engage with questions, ideas, and disruptions fundamental to the art of playwriting, and leave with fresh pages of a brand-new play.

Participants should bring the thing they most like to write on/with. Both laptop/device or paper and pen are OK.

6:00pm - 9:00pm: Stage Presence Workshop: Le Jeu and Complicité Fundamentals with Chloe Payne

When did acting become work?
This workshop will get you out of your head and teach you how to be at play through Le Jeu.
Le Jeu is the game that should exist between actors and between actors and the audience. Actors at play follow their instincts; ready to change and challenge each other at a moment's notice.
In this workshop, inspired by French clown master Philippe Gaulier, students will learn to play, develop complicity, gain sensitivity and embrace taking risks.
This workshop is appropriate for all types of performers: actors, clowns, improvisors, comedians, storytellers, dancers etc.

Participants should wear clothes that they can easily move in and be warmed up and ready to jump in when the session begins.

2:00pm - 5:00pm: Spatial Audio: from binaural to large scale theatre with Carey Dodge

This session will survey a variety of spatial audio techniques highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. It is ideal for someone who is curious about using spatial audio in their work and also for those who are already using spatial audio and want to dig a little deeper into its possibilities. Carey Dodge will be drawing from his more than 25 years of experience with spatial audio in order to give context and hopefully some inspiration for you to use spatial audio in your work.

Please bring your own device (ideally a laptop) and headphones.

6:00pm - 9:00pm: Composing with Texture to Sculpt Sound with Anju Singh

We will use found, recorded, and designed sonic artifacts to compose scores using dense textural walls to support stage based performance.

Please bring a laptop and headphones to this session.

2:00pm - 5:00pm: Monologue Session 2 with Eric Epstein

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.

6:00pm - 9:00pm: Rooted and Radiant: A Workshop for BIPOC Artists with Evelyn Chew and Raugi Yu

Rooted & Radiant is a 3-hour ensemble, movement, and reflection-based workshop designed for BIPOC artists to reconnect with creative power, presence, and resilience in their craft. It was originally developed for and delivered through the UBCP/ACTRA BIPOC Mentorship Program, where it was met with enthusiasm, healing, and meaningful creative breakthroughs.

Through breathwork, grounding exercises, ensemble games, movement prompts, writing, and culturally responsive facilitation, participants explore the body as an instrument of story, imagination, and agency - rather than an object under pressure. The workshop supports artists in grounding themselves, accessing joy, and cultivating creative resilience within a demanding and historically inequitable industry.
All bodies, access needs, and training backgrounds are welcome. All participation is opt-in, adaptive, and consent-based.

Wear clothing you can comfortably move in. Bring a water bottle, journal and writing utensil.

2:00pm - 5:00pm: Multi-Person Puppetry! with Stephanie Elgersma & Randi Edmundson

Join Randi and Steph for an invigorating exploration of the techniques and tools involved in multiple person puppetry. Bring human and animal puppets to life with other puppeteers while working as a cohesive unit! Learn to safely and creatively incorporate puppetry into your rehearsal process and get the most out of this endlessly inspiring form.

Wear clothes you can move in. If you have knee pads, bring them! 

6:00pm - 9:00pm: New Work Creation: Accessing Inspiration Through Music with Ming Hudson

Whether you are a playwright who makes work alone, or a deviser who builds work in a collective, or anyone in between, we've all had those times where we just didn't know how to access an idea or start a project. Sometimes, we just need an in. An exercise in finding inspiration anywhere, this workshop uses music as an entry point into new work creation. Participants will explore freefall writing, Shakespearean Sonnets as found text, and gestural movements to first construct a short individual piece. These pieces will then be knit together in small groups to produce a new work of collaborative theatre. Come prepared to write, move, and get through that creator's block!

Please bring paper and something to write with, movement clothes, and a water bottle.

2:00pm - 5:00pm: Devising with Giant Masks with Emilia Fox-Hillyer

Participants will learn how to fabricate giant puppet masks with cardboard, staples, bike tires and fast-drying acrylic paints. Participants will construct an armature out of cardboard and paint it, a la the giant puppet masks of Bread and Puppet. While the paint is drying, we will discuss the matter of what makes a puppet and the history of the Cheap Art movement in North America. Then, we will move into groups to devise short pieces based on remixes of reflective writings we concoct during the workshop. These pieces will be coached for puppet performance, then there will be a witnessing of our performance creations.

Participants should bring a memory of a dream and an idea of some object to model a nose off of.

2:00pm - 5:00pm: The Art of the Interview: Capturing an Oral History with Tetsuro Shigematsu

Does someone in your family have an incredible story to tell, and you don’t know how to get started?  From selecting the least expensive/most effective recording equipment, to creating simple tools that will help you easily search the hours and hours of unforgettable stories you will collect, join Tetsuro as he guides you step-by-step on how to capture the story of a lifetime. These are the same techniques he used to create his theatrical solo-work Empire of the Son was described by theatre critic Colin Thomas as, “one of the best shows ever to come out of Vancouver. Ever.” As well as his other other solo-work, 1 Hour Photo was named as a finalist for the 2019 Governor General's Award for Drama.

6:00pm - 9:00pm: Victorian Cane Fighting for the Stage! with Sylvie La Riviere and Mike Kovac

Come practice the fundamentals of stage combat while exploring the unique martial art of Bartitsu - a combination of Victorian walking stick fighting, French kickboxing, bareknuckle boxing, and jujitsu. Our main focus will be the walking stick, where we will learn stage-safe techniques with fashion and flair!

Bring athletic shoes/clothing and a water bottle.

6:00pm - 9:00pm: (title to-be-confirmed) with Jiv Parasram

6:00pm - 9:00pm: 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.

6:00pm - 9:00pm: Business of Producing: Tips and Tricks with Julie-Anne Saroyan

This intensive session is structured to provide participants with the practical knowledge and foundational skills necessary to efficiently manage the business aspects of their creative practice. We demystify and break down complex production processes, equipping artists to move confidently from creation to professional execution.
Specifically, participants will walk away with concrete skills in:
Financial Literacy: A practical understanding of bookkeeping, realistic budgeting and cash flow management for long-term stability.
Production: A comprehensive project management breakdown, learning efficient methodologies for mapping out all stages of a production, from initial concept through detailed, integrated schedules (creation, rehearsal and final production) and post-run strike.
Professional Standards: Foundational skills in understanding, negotiating, and executing artistic contracts, alongside competence in safe work practices and risk assessment to foster professional, healthy working environments.
Authentic Branding: Strategic self-assessment to identify their unique artistic "brand" and the communication skills to translate that voice into effective, engaging content for websites and social media platforms.

Be comfortable and bring your laptop.