Embodied Acting

Acting

Embodied Acting

Key Information
  • Suitable for

    18+
  • Date

    Monday 17th – Friday 21st August 2026

     
  • Tuition

    10:00 – 17:00
  • Location

    Downside Rd, Clifton, Bristol
  • Cost

    £590
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Overview

This intensive five-day Embodied Acting Workshop is designed to deepen an actor’s relationship between mind and body. The course empowers participants to develop a more integrated, instinctive, and physically responsive acting practice, applicable to both stage and screen.

Through physical exploration and practical research, actors will be supported to move beyond habitual patterns, unlock freedom in their bodies, and build confidence in working from physical intuition.

 

Embodied Acting

Course Highlights

– Develop a stronger connection between mind, body, and impulse

– Build confidence in physical intuition and embodied choice-making

– Explore global actor-training techniques in an integrated way

– Expand expressive range and physical responsiveness

– Create bold, dynamic, and emotionally resonant performances

 

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Approach & Methodology

Participants will work with an amalgamated approach to actor training, drawing on a range of physical and somatic practices including:

– Suzuki Method

– Six Viewpoints

– Rasabox

– Laban Efforts

– Somatic breathing practices

The work encourages exploration, experimentation, and physical research, allowing each actor to discover a freer, more responsive relationship to their body and environment.

Example Day Outlines

Day 1: Awakening the Physical Instrument
● Establishing ensemble and physical awareness
● Exploring energy, stillness, and presence
● Introduction to embodied listening and spatial awareness

Day 2: Energy, Environment & Response
● Deepening physical responsiveness to external stimuli
● Working with environment, rhythm, and tempo
● Expanding range of physical and emotional response

Day 3: Character Through the Body
● Embodied approaches to complex characterisation
● Exploring effort, impulse, and transformation
● Physical storytelling and expressive clarity

Day 4: Breath, Emotion & Choice
● Using breath to support emotional resonance
● Integrating physical impulse with emotional life
● Making bold, intuitive choices through the body

Day 5: Integration & Application
● Integrating techniques into personal acting practice
● Applying embodied work to performance material
● Reflection, feedback, and strategies for continued development

  • When & where is this course?

    First Day: Monday 17th August    Last Day: Friday 21st August

    Your day will start at 10:00 and finish at 1700.

    The course will take place at our Downside Road site in Clifton.
    Address: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, 1-2 Downside Rd, Bristol, BS8 2XF.
  • Why join the course?

    By the end of the course, participants will:

    – Understand the relationship between energy, stillness, and performance

    – Respond with greater clarity and range to their environment

    – Approach character through embodied, physical choices

    – Possess a toolbox of physical exercises for fast, intuitive decision-making

    – Use breath to support strong, emotionally resonant performances
  • What do I need to bring and what do I need to wear?

    A notebook and pen for developing your own ideas throughout the week. A water bottle.

    Plain socks and shorts or leggings for morning Suzuki Training. Non-restrictive clothes you feel comfortable moving in for the afternoons.

  • Short Course Cancellation Policy

    We will make all reasonable efforts to deliver a short course as outlined on our site and in any brochure or published material. However, we reserve the right to cancel a short course in case of events outside our control or if the course fails to meet a minimum number of participants. In the event that we cancel a course, we will inform participants who have booked a place via email at least 7 days prior to the start date. We will also provide a full refund of the course fee paid. Bristol Old Vic Theatre School cannot be held responsible for any expenses you incur due to such a cancellation.
  • Short Courses Refund Policy

    If you wish to cancel your place on the course, you will receive a full refund if you notify the school at least 7 days prior to the start of the course. For cancellations, contact [email protected]
  • Where can I get food?

    We advise you to bring food and drink with you each day. Otherwise, shops can be found nearby on Whiteladies Road.
  • Policies and Procedures