Studio Lab was a monthly multifaceted programme of weekend workshops, organised by Living Pictures co-founder Robbie Bowman in collaboration with fellow theatre practitioners.
Each Studio Lab was a chance for participants to work out their acting muscles, develop their craft, and learn from peers as well as established professionals. Studio Lab adopts a mind, body and spirit approach, and aims to collectively develop these aspects of ourselves.
As acting and directing are difficult to practise outside the rehearsal room, these workshops created space for exploration and experimentation in an environment without judgement, enabling participants to develop in relation with others rather than in isolation.
The workshops encouraged an investigative approach to the work, rather than being taught by an all-knowing expert. In so doing, Studio Lab supported and encouraged active learning and development for both facilitators and participants.
In July, Studio Lab was led by Robbie Bowman, Than Hussein Clark, Florence Dobson and Lesley Ewen.
This series of workshops was organised by Living Pictures, as part of the Associate Artists Programme.
Studio Lab
Dates and Times
Fri 19 July – Sat 20 July 2024
Location
Studio 1, London Performance Studios
Programme
Friday 19 July 2024
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Coaching Sessions
These will be 1-hour sessions with Robbie. They are a chance to focus on yourself, and work those areas you’d like to understand better or find you are struggling with.The session focusses on your development as an artist and person over career advancement, although there is time to look at monologues and development of your craft as well.
Robbie has over 40 years’ experience in the profession and will bring his understanding of the acting craft, NLP, Neuroscience, Mindfulness, and elements of Think Like a Tree (Values and Natural Principles) to the session.
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Workshop
Robbie will lead this session focusing on connection and awareness of oneself and others. This is a chance to keep working your 'acting muscles' and investigating what helps you move towards freedom on stage.Robbie's work is influenced heavily by the Meisner Repetition Exercises, which form the core of what he does, coupled with mindfulness, grounding work, mantras, magic if and improvisation.
Robbie looks at the psycho physical aspects that exist in our work; getting to know, accepting, and working with those intrusive thoughts that interrupt the actor's freedom. -
Workshop
In this session we will be looking at Active Analysis as taught to Robbie by Bella Merlin, and Than’s own understanding of Active Analysis.We will be focusing on Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Both Robbie and Than will be taking part as well as co-leading this session.
Saturday 20 July 2024
About
Living Pictures is a sector-leading theatre training organisation that focuses on providing creative and professional development for theatre makers less represented in the arts. It was founded in 1999 by Elen and Robbie Bowman to provide training in Active Analysis and Meisner technique for directors and actors. In 2014, the organisation acquired a piece of land in Wales where it is now primarily based, which marked a shift in the organisation’s focus towards environmental and community initiatives, retreats alongside professional theatre training and stage productions.
Robbie Bowman (he/him) is an actor, director and acting tutor. He has worked in theatre for the last 42 years in over 50 productions ranging from the West End, National, The Gate and the Sherman in Cardiff. He co-runs Living Pictures and Coed Dylan with his partner Elen Bowman.
Than Hussein Clark (he/him) is a theatre director and visual artist. He is the artistic director of The Director’s Theatre Writer’s Theatre, and founder of London Performance Studios. He completed an MA in Theatre Directing with Katie Mitchell (OBE) at Royal Holloway.
Florence Dobson (she/her) is originally from the Lake District, Florence trained on the BA Acting at RADA. Since graduating in 2021, she has worked professionally as an actor and producer across Theatre and Screen, with a desire to direct . Florence wishes to share Alexander Technique, amongst other practices she has a fascination for, with anyone who wishes to continue or begin embodying techniques they can apply to their lives and/or creative processes.
Lesley Ewen (she/her) has been creating public performance since the late 70’s. Classically trained in traditional theatre practices, she draws from a lineage that synthesises Stanislavski, Michel Saint-Denis and Grotowski’s work; interweaving these methodologies with contemporary Live Art making, clown, site responsive performance and social intervention. Her long time meditation practice provides a pathway into the deeper embodied imagination where, as David Lynch professes, we can ‘catch the big fish’.
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Workshop
Having found the Alexander technique to be an essential element to her actors training at RWCMD and RADA, Florence continues to deepen her practice of Alexander to liberate herself and others through a mindful practice of breath-work and sensations.Through Alexander Technique, Florence will share some fundamental exercises and insights to channel space and grounding through the body, allowing ourselves to compassionately release tension and welcome in ease and flow.
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Workshop
go deep…
but how?
what do I need?…what do you need to let go of?
Using methodologies drawn from Mindfulness Acting Practices (MAPs), Lesley will guide participants more deeply into themselves; to perhaps a new level of imagination, of self even? There they’ll allow organic embodied impulse to have sway over the imagination. moving writing making from a place that connects more directly to our ancestors’ stories, our myth making, our archetypes and perennial feelings.
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20/07