Blog: My Atlantic Summer Intensive Experience: Just the Beginning

My name is Keisha Amponsa Banson, and I’m a recent graduate of Atlantic Theater School’s Summer Intensive. It’s been about six weeks since I finished the program, and I can honestly say it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

I was incredibly grateful to be awarded the Resident Artist Scholarship, which Atlantic offers to artists continuing their creative journey. As an Afro-British creative born and based in the UK, I knew I needed something more to add to my toolbox. I felt myself getting a little rusty, and we didn’t want that. Everyone I spoke to who had trained at Atlantic told me the same thing: Atlantic is the place to be.

They were right.

People talk about a “New York minute,” but an Atlantic Theater School minute is even faster. They pack so much into every day, vigor, passion, and verve that makes you excited to learn and dive deeper. The training helped me fully embody myself as an artist in my power, especially through the process of deconstructing a piece and then rebuilding a life.

By that, I mean truly excavating a text, digging into what it means, understanding its social and political context, and doing the groundwork. Then, after all that work, you step in front of another beautiful human being, stay present, breathe—and speak the words. It’s really that simple, and incredibly powerful.

The experience gave me such a renewed passion that I already want to return and continue studying at Atlantic. This course feels like just the tip of the iceberg. With inspiring guest instructors and a schedule where no minute is wasted, I felt deeply supported and challenged throughout the process.

I also made lifelong friends from all over the world, Australia, South Africa, Greece, Mexico, across the U.S., and of course, me from the UK. That sense of global community was truly special.

Now, I’m back home and already putting the work into practice—currently excavating a text for an upcoming audition. What’s next? Watch this space. I know this is only the beginning, and I can’t wait to return to New York, to Atlantic Theater School, and to dig even deeper into the work that first gave me a taste of what’s possible.