First of all, let me tell you what my Theatre-Based Training Program is NOT.
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I do not embarrass my participants, I support them;
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I do not force participants to ‘Act’, I investigate cause, effect, and human condition;
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I do not simply ‘play games’, I facilitate meaningful exercises to encourage tangible solutions, change, growth, and to capitalise on your strengths and disarm your challenges;
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I am not a Corporate, but I am an Arts Leader who has held positions of General Management and CEO, managing up to 350 projects in Festival Programs, over 200 people on project teams and organisations, and managing several departments to achieve one goal.
Now that is settled........
A Pedagogy for 21st Century Training
I believe everyone has individual qualities that make them exceptional contributors to a training setting. I lead my programs in a way that inspires participants to freely express themselves while valuing their own identities and embracing the diversity of others.
I do not endorse the notion of the workplace as a “family,” but I do maintain that it is essential for the environment to honour, bolster, and value its staff in order to accomplish the aims of a project or an organisation.
As a trainer, I recognise that each organisation, training room, and team are populated their own, unique community. My objective is to work collaboratively with every participant to help them achieve their desired professional development.
To accomplish this, I utilise experiential learning techniques, modelled on the philosophies, methods, and techniques of creative disciplines such as theatre and performance, as well as Community Cultural Development.
By doing so, I ensure that the program content is relevant to each participant’s professional life.
The Four Primary Origins of My Work in the Corporate Sector
Forum Theatre
The origins of Theatre based Training or Drama Based Training and its ability to engage people in learning can arguably be traced to Forum Theatre methods pioneered by Augusto Boal in the early 1970s.
Forum Theatre, also known as Theatre of the Oppressed, is a theatrical format created and implemented by Boal with the purpose of mobilising communities for social change and as a means of activism and artistic expression. Today, Boal’s Forum Theatre is employed in more than 70 countries worldwide.
The philosophies of Forum Theatre have played an important role in my Theatre Based Training programs. They promote a process-driven approach that fosters Empathy, Collaboration, Courage, and Creative Thinking.
Education
My educational and professional background is a significant advantage.
I obtained my training from the renowned WA Academy of Performing Arts/Edith Cowan University, which is among the top 25 Drama Schools worldwide according to the Hollywood Reporter.
WAAPA alumni have achieved great success in various fields across the globe, including eminent actors, dancers, musicians, and music theatre performers like Hugh Jackman, Frances O’Connor, and Dacre Montgomery. Additionally, several internationally acclaimed enterprises such as Monkey Baa Theatre and Blue Room Theatre were founded by WAAPA alumni.
Notably, even an Executive Director of the WA Ballet Company in Australia has a degree in acting from WAAPA.
My training in Voice, Body, Acting, Text Analysis, Authenticity, and The Creative State equipped me with invaluable skills that I have honed throughout my career. These skills are not only ingrained in me but are also directly transferable to the Corporate Sector’s professional development. In fact, many of the technical aspects of my professional development programs are derived from this training.
Community Cultural Development
Community Cultural Development (CCD) is a process of Community Development (CD) used to foster participation in community life, mediated through culture and the arts, to achieve community-building outcomes. – Using culture and arts as means for promoting community capacity and sense of community.
I have utilised CCD practice across many sectors, including Disabilities, Aged Care, Reform, Disengaged Youth and Education and in the Corporate arena. I was on the Board of CAN WA and was interim Chair of the organisation, involved primarily in the development of its’ Mentorship Program.
CCD has been instrumental in influencing my work. By recognizing participants as authorities in their own lives, CCD encourages a cooperative, rather than authoritarian, atmosphere that champions a personalised approach to attaining success for the team.
Career
The fourth and possibly most important origin of my Theatre Based Training technique is experience. I have over 40 years experience in the arts, and for the most of those years, I have been in leadership roles.
I have experienced both triumphs and defeats within organisations, successfully navigating complex human resources issues and demonstrating leadership when necessary. I possess extensive experience managing projects and companies of varying sizes and understand the importance of professional development. I have received recognition as an artist, a Manager and a facilitator/teacher within the arts, corporate, and community sectors. I have taught thousands of students across the globe, including India, Australia, Malaysia, and online.
I have been at the helm of small theatre productions with minimal budgets and staff, to large scale festivals and events with 350 programmed events and staffs of over 1000.
The logistics of creating theatre, arts and events requires fast thinking, a work for success mentality and true empathy for the team. Attributes that all industries require to gain success and celebrated productivity..
Soft Skills Are 2020’s Hard Skills
As a theatre professional, it is difficult for me to regard the many complex skills we are required to master as ‘soft’.
Soft skills, also known as “people skills,” have historically been undervalued compared to hard skills. Elements of emotional intelligence such as communication, collaboration, empathy, and creative thinking were often seen as optional or given less priority in professional development and training.
Currently, companies recognize the necessity of soft skills in numerous job roles, and the importance of mastering them for professional satisfaction and well-being. Additionally, these skills are measurable and have a strong correlation with success and innovation.
Author and researcher Daniel Goleman is often credited with saying, “Emotional intelligence is the ability to sense, understand, value and effectively apply the power of emotions as a source of human energy, information, trust, creativity and influence.”
Contemporary research has also proven that there is a direct correlation between emotional intelligence and leadership, organization effectiveness, improved relations and engagement.
Travis Bradberry, co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 eloquently articulated the importance of EQ.
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Self-Awareness is your ability to accurately perceive your emotions and stay aware of them as they happen.
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Self-Management is your ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and positively direct your behavior.
As a working professional artist, I am trained and experienced in this ‘power’ . EQ and its bi-products are my tools of my trade. My programs are designed to make this power accessible to the corporate and business sector.
Training and Professional Development that is Bold, Brave and Rewarding
So, how do I utilise theatre in my program?
A cornerstone of my work is derived from the Seven Questions that every good actor asks themselves when they are approaching a role or text. The Seven Q’s were originally articulated by Konstantin Stanislavski, considered the father of modern acting .
Below, I have explained what each of the Seven Q’s are in context of the actor and then given a context of how it works for you.
The Seven Questions
1. Who am I?
Start with the basics and then fill in the gaps with your imagination. Pick apart the script to find out what type of person your character is; what they look like, what they believe, how others describe them and so on. Think about your character’s past and the significant events/people that influenced them and made them who they are in the script.
Training Context.
This reflective question is posed during non-invasive exercises in a training context. Participants are asked to evaluate their position within the organisation, including their role and how they are perceived by their colleagues and the organisation. Additionally, they are asked to reflect on their journey to their current role and who has inspired them along the way.
2. Where am I?
The script will usually tell you where you are but the important thing for an actor is to consider how the character feels about the place they are in. Characters act differently in public than they do in private. People move differently when they are cold vs. when they are too hot. The space your character occupies can determine how they behave during a scene.
Training Context.
This question is ideal for training and needs little adaptation. It is crucial to comprehend our position in both our professional and personal lives. Recognizing our “location,” or our employer, is vital in assessing our role and aspirations within our profession, as well as understanding what our company requires from us. It is also significant when examining our interactions with diverse individuals and situations during training.
3. What time is it?
Year, season, month, day, and time of day should all be described. Then, think about how the specific time of the play changes the character’s action. If it’s set in Victorian England, voice and proper etiquette will be different than San Francisco in the 1960s.
Training Context.
The context of this question in my training is about ‘time’ of your career. So often our expectations of where we will be in our careers at a particular time of life is challenged by the unexpected occurrences in our lives but also expectations that may not have been time-lined with the consideration it warrants.
4. What do I want?
This is a character’s primary motivation for everything they do in a scene. All actions should be executed with the goal of getting what you want from the other characters in the scene. This is also called a character’s objective.
Training Context.
This question is identical to the query itself. Within my training environment, the question pertains to one’s motivation and desires in regards to career, team, project, presentation, and task. The significance of this query lies in the determination of our motivational factors towards achieving our objectives. Without clear-cut motivations, it becomes arduous to remain focused. When ‘What Do I Want?’ is established, planning and answering remaining questions is much simpler.
5. Why do I want it?
There must be a driving force behind your objectives on stage and on screen and that is your justification. We all having reasons for doing what we do and characters are no different. Give your character a convincing reason for acting and you automatically generate high stakes which leads to tension.
Training Context.
In the realm of retail, the driving force is often identified as the ‘why’ rather than the ‘what’. This intuition, also known as our ‘gut feeling’, has been extensively studied and documented. Articulating our own ‘why’ within our professional lives can lead to greater self-trust, as well as the trust of others. Additionally, it often results in a more fulfilling work experience. As leaders, it is crucial to inspire our teams with a sense of purpose. Discovering the motivations behind our pursuits can greatly empower both ourselves and those around us.
6. How will I get what I want?
Use your dialogue, movements, and gestures to try to influence the other characters to give you what you want i.e. accomplish your objective. This is also called a character’s tactic. If one tactic fails, try a new one and see if that works.
Training Context.
This is an exciting question for me in my training work. It encompasses leadership style, presentation, courage, empathy, creative thinking, communication, team development and all the areas that make our artistic disciples so suitable to the training environment. ‘How’ you present yourself to your professional world and ‘How’ you strategize yourself in your pursuits is tantamount to success.
7. What must I overcome to get what I want?
There is always something stopping you from achieving your objective. Usually, there is someone or something in the outside world impeding a character’s advancement and also some internal conflict with which they struggle. Find what it/they are and fight against them with the scene. This is also called a character’s obstacle.
Training Context.
These are the ‘challenges’ we experience. Some are internal, some are external. In my training room, this is where we find that the most inspiring work is done. External challenges are directly affected by our approach to our internal challenges. Most attributes that make up a good leader or team member can be learnt, exercised and conquered. It’s not magic, this is the work! If your challenge is in presentation style, your courage, your ability to accept difference, your modes of communication, your ability to think out of the box, challenging these is the exciting work I do with you in the training.
A Final Word
In theatre, films, and other narrative forms, challenges captivate audiences and keep us engaged. These obstacles also keep us alert in our daily lives. Identifying (who, what, where, when?), developing techniques (why and how?), and practicing (what is needed to overcome?) are crucial steps in surmounting obstacles. In the world of the arts, these steps are excellent rehearsal tools. As an expert in this field, my goal is to apply these principles to your performance and specific stage, and I excel at doing so.