Higher Education & Professional Training

We are pleased to offer a range of workshops in conjunction with Spike's new work for 2005. Workshops are led by members of the core company and members of the pool of practitioners Spike has developed over the last 5 years.
These workshops are skills based and examine performance techniques that have an emphasis on physically/visually informed work. All workshops are full day (2x3 hour sessions in length). We can only accommodate a maximum of 25 per workshop leader.

We are more than happy to discuss your specific requirements and devise individual workshop packages to suit your needs.

Creating a Spike Theatre show
An intensive workshop exploring storytelling devices and styles whose origins lie in cinematic technique.
Using a variety of bold physical/visual exercises, a working process will be explored so that the students can discover ways of creating and realising new pieces of physical based performance.
Particular emphasis will be upon elements contained within current touring shows including characterisation, choreographed movement sequences, narrative storyboarding, set and object animation

Ensemble and Chorus
Designed to examine complicity between performers and the promotion of group sensitivity.
Students will explore a variety of exercises aimed at the group working as a unit, with shared awareness and control of 'moments'. We explore Ensemble as a style of performance.
A structure will be put in place in which participants can create a simple whole group improvisation that may be performed to an audience, using music and set themes as stimulus for the work.

Physical Theatre
Exploring a range of visual exercises including movement, tension and release, image creation and transition within the structure of ensemble playing.
Participants will also examine a presentational style of characterisation, formed from simple motivation stimuli. This work examines centres of weight within the body, and fixes personality traits to these centres.
Work is initiated towards bold characterisation and improvised story telling.

Mask work
Participants will have the opportunity to explore the use of masks as improvisational tools, as training devices and as opportunities to perform in immediately successful manner. Using character masks, a variety of exercises will be undertaken which allow participants to discover their own physical habits and to develop silent storytelling pieces, which are illuminated by the mask. This is one of the most liberating and successful workshops Spike delivers.

Circus Skills
Circus - Students will be able to try a number of circus skills, with access to the following - Stilts, Unicycles, Low Wire, Rolla-Bolla, Juggling, Diablo, Spinning Plates and Devil Sticks. These sessions have elements of group teaching and demonstration but are aimed to be hands-on experiences.

Acrobatics and Acrobalance
This workshop aims to develop students understanding and awareness of their own flexibility, balance and coordination. A variety of moves and set pieces will be taught: tumbling, lifts, and work in pairs - allowing participants to put together their own sequences and routines.

Improvisation and Devising
From a starting point of exploring ‘short form’ Theatre Games and Improvisation Exercises that unlock creativity and imagination, participants will be led through a process that can be developed to create longer form narrative improvisations.

Workshops with an emphasis on devising will provide participants with a 'Tool Box' of exercises from which to draw when working in the future and a simple set of rules to empower a group working towards making theatre. A process is undertaken which also reveals the need for play and pleasure in devising and therefore ultimately in performance.
Residencies

The nature of these residencies is to allow students to see the development of work from workshop exercises to improvisations and the devising of performance pieces. In this way, exercises are seen in practice and the groups are able to create from the tools delivered in workshops long after the company have left.

Reports on previous workshops and residencies are available on request. For further information on any of the workshops above and prices, please contact Spike by Telephone on 0151 709 8554 or email us at mail@spiketheatre.com