Deafinitely Theatre Announces The Hub's Spring And Summer Acting Workshops

Deafinitely Theatre today announces the Spring and Summer 2019 acting workshops for their theatre training course for deaf artists, The Hub. The workshops include Visual Vernacular, Comedy, Movement and Stage Combat and aim to equip participants for mainstream arts employment through structured, accessible and professional theatre training.

Launched in September 2018, The Hub is a year-long programme, which has been developed and expanded from a previous pilot scheme. Alongside acting The Hub offers participants playwriting workshops, which aim to develop and explore writing for live performance and Industry Insight workshops which focusses on areas of theatre practise, including stage management and theatre design. The Hub also provides a mentorship scheme lasting 12 months for two mentees. Each mentee will receive a bursary and have a brief to design and complete a set task with ongoing support from their mentor. Throughout the course of the year, the Hub will facilitate four networking events where Hub participants can present their ideas and share their CVs with industry professionals. Interpreter and caption support is offered across the whole programme.

In addition to The Hub, Deafinitely Theatre continues its long-term commitment to supporting deaf artists across the industry, inviting participants to apply for paid internships and acting roles with the company.

Visual Vernacular

Wednesdays, 27 February - 20 March 2019

This session, run by actor and director Adam Bassett, focusses on theatrical art as a form of physical expression. Participants will learn how stories can be told through body movements, iconic signs, gestures and facial expressions. Visual-manual language employs cinematic techniques in a four-dimensional environment: cuts, angles, and zooms, etc. These devices are commonly and richly used in storytelling and poetry. Just as imagery is used in poetry and novels, visual-manual language takes the opportunity of manipulating imagery in four-dimensional space and time.

Comedy

Wednesdays, 1 May - 15 May 2019

The workshop will look at comedy and what makes us laugh, it will be run by deaf actor and director, Caroline Parker who specialises in physical comedy and comedy without words.

Movement

Wednesdays, 22 May - 12 June 2019

Through a mixture of improvisation and play this workshop focuses on the expansion of both physical awareness and awareness of the body in space. This will grant the actor choice with their movement so that their body can easily, with truth, fulfil each character played through the ability to work in different performances styles.

The workshop will be run by Angela Gasparetto a freelance movement director, director and teacher at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

Stage Combat

Wednesdays, 19 June - 26 June 2019

During this course participants will learn the principles of stage fighting - the reactions and carefully choreographed moment that portrays spontaneous fight scenes on stage and screen.

The workshop will be run by Philip d'Orléans a Master Teacher with the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat and stage combat teacher at RADA.

Participants can book via the Hub Acting pages on the Deafinitely Theatre website. www.deafinitelytheatre.co.uk

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In 2002 Paula Garfield set up Deafinitely Theatre alongside Steven Webb and Kate Furby after becoming frustrated at the barriers that deaf actors and directors face in mainstream media. The company launched with a sell-out première of Deaf History at The Gate Theatre in London. In May 2012, the company performed the first ever British Sign Language Shakespeare play at The Globe Theatre, Love's Labour's Lost, celebrating its 10-year anniversary. In 2018 Deafinitely won the Off West End Award for Best Production for its site-specific production of Mike Bartlett's Contractions.

The company's vision is a world where deaf people are a valued part of the National Theatre landscape, recognised for the excellence of their work. Deafinitely Theatre is the first professional deaf-launched and led theatre company in the UK that works bilingually in British Sign Language and spoken English and produces work that caters to audiences of all ages. Deaf theatre has a vital contribution to make to the UK's diverse and vibrant theatre landscape. Deafinitely Theatre challenges barriers to training and opportunities and embraces the deaf world's diversity. The company work hard to nurture the next generation of deaf actors, writers and audiences through its Deafinitely Youth Theatre and Deafinitely Little productions for young people, plus its Hub training and development programme for adults.

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) offers vocational training for actors, stage managers, designers and technical stagecraft specialists. We pride ourselves on the exceptional standard of our facilities, teaching and productions, and the personalisation of our training tailored to the needs of each student.

We seek to train the most talented individuals. We have an impressive track record of graduate employment in theatre, film, television and radio, as award-winners and leaders in their fields: actors, directors, writers, producers, lighting, sound and costume designers, prop makers, scenic artists, stage managers, production managers, and many others. We also create opportunities for a wider community to engage with our training, through our short courses and widening participation and outreach work.

RADA was established in 1904 by renowned actor-manager Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in rooms above His Majesty's Theatre in the West End: an academy founded by the industry for the industry. We have maintained strong links with the performing arts industries ever since, and have built an outstanding reputation as a world-renowned centre of excellence. Our student population is a diverse community, united by a shared passion for theatre-making. Our students come from all over the world.

Further information is available at www.deafinitelytheatre.co.uk.