My name is Michael Franklin. I am a professional Actor, Writer, Director and Acting Coach. I have a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and two decades of experience in the Entertainment Industry.

I have studied American and Russian acting techniques with many teachers in the USA and the UK and bring to my classes a teaching technique that is my own in conjunction with "The Meisner Technique" which I teach in the American style.

I believe in empowering my students and providing them not only with confidence but with structure, a venue to train, take risks and grow in a safe, judgement-free environment. I believe a disciplined human makes a disciplined Actor makes a disciplined working Actor, so students can expect to be challenged in the class. After all why go to a class where the teacher loves everything you do? Where's the growth? I believe growth comes as a result of being challenged, recognition of the challenges, period of disillusionment, followed by period of confusion, followed by clarity and ultimately confidence in the use of what has been learned.

I am not left or right-brain biased which enables me to be artistic and analytical and therefore both artistic and analytical is what I teach, to provide my students with an all-round toolkit. Although I teach Meisner, I utilise techniques from many different disciplines to get the point across to actors working on specific problems. As an actor I understand problems encountered by students in class as I've been through most every problem imaginable at some stage of my training. By the way, an actor never stops training!

I started teaching in 1998. Since then I have been employed by Television Companies, London Drama Schools and privately to work with actors. I prefer actors who come with an open-mind. I'm the first person to say that actors need to study with a range of teachers, a range of disciplines, throughout different stages of their maturity.

My name is Gavin Levy. I wanted to let you know about my new acting game book that has just been released called, 275 Acting Games Connected. This book has many games, exercises, and activities that can be used with acting students.

Description: With almost three hundred performance-tested acting games this is the largest collection published to date. They were compiled from numerous workshops and study sessions. Includes a wide variety of proven activities for learning acting and theatre industry skills. The book is divided into thirty sections including: Audition, Concentration and Focus, Voice, Ensemble, Action and Reaction, Improvisation, Knowing Your Objective, Performance, Thinking outside the Box, Spatial Awareness, Nonverbal Communication, Making Choices, Releasing Inhibitions, The Physical Actor and many more. This is an adaptable workbook designed to connect the learning of acting skills with professional auditions and the theatre industry.

Just to let you know that I have just updated the catalogues section of our website - www.cressrelles.co.uk - our latest publications are listed in the New Plays for Mixed / All-Women Cast catalogues. I have merged the two previously separate catalogues for Garnet Miller/Kenyon-Deane and New Playwrights' Network, so that there is now just one catalogue of all-women plays, and one catalogue for mixed one-acts and one for full mixed length plays. This will make it less confusing as to which imprints we handle and give you one handy reference guide.

Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. I look forward to receiving your orders for our plays.

Cressrelles Publishing Company Limited
10 Station Road Industrial Estate, Colwall, WR13 6RN
www.cressrelles.co.uk
Directors: Leslie Smith, Simon Smith
Registered Number: England 1074075

My name is Julie Heathcote and I’m a TV Director working at a production company in Brighton, Lambent Productions www.lambentproductions.co.uk

We’re very experienced in making educational programmes for all broadcasters and are core providers for Teachers TV www.teachers.tv

I’ve just completed an interactive drama project for Teachers TV involving the drama students of Kidbrooke Secondary School in Greenwich. We’re now looking to make a version with primary pupils.

I’m looking for a primary school – preferably in the South East of England – that has a particularly strong drama background.

The drama film is being made to help teachers deal with behaviour management issues within class. We’d need 3 pupils to be our main characters and around 15 other pupils to make up the rest of the class. There’d be a handful of very short scripts that would need to be learnt, then we’d need a couple of full days filming to get everything we need. Obviously parents would need to be happy for their children to be involved – we’re very experienced at working with children and filming within schools. The students of Kidbrooke did a fantastic job and I think they’d all agree that it was a great experience seeing how a TV production crew pulls together a drama.

My contacts are below I’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in the project and I can tell you more about what it would involve.

27th January 2010

I would like to inform fellow teachers about my new company, The Professional Connection, which offers workshops to schools and colleges by professional practitioners.

We believe that workshops run by those already working freelance as actors, directors or choreographers is the best way to learn, and can give a unique insight into what it is like to pursue a career in drama.

A website that would be of considerable interest to visitors to this site is www.dramaclasses.biz , which includes a database of UK Drama Schools and Classes.

An Opportunity For Volunteers to Lead Drama Workshops in the UK During the Easter and Summer Holidays 2010

Over The Wall provide residential activity camps during the Easter and summer holidays to children in the UK aged 8-17, who are affected by serious illnesses free of charge.

Thousands of children are affected every year by serious and life limiting illnesses. Many spend months, even years in and out of hospital undergoing treatments which can be frightening and painful. Many have endured isolation and lack of childhood experiences.

At camp we help children rebuild their confidence and self esteem by encouraging them to take part in a range of activities such as music, arts & crafts, technology ,media, climbing, horse riding and archery, as well as a weekly talent show and disco. The children are supported during the week by Over The Wall staff, a dedicated team of volunteers who work with the children and finally a paediatric specialised team of doctors and nurses who kindly volunteer their time (and join in all the activities with the children!)

Drama is the one area where we know we can offer more however have had difficulty in attracting volunteers who have a dramatic talent and the ability to lead workshops for groups of children.

Please do not hesitate in contacting me if you would like further information. I have enclosed an application form which has the camp and interview dates.

Visiting Examiner vacancies with Edexcel
Edexcel is recruiting Drama Teachers for the role of a Visiting Examiner for the GCSE 2010 examination series.
Joining Edexcel’s Assessment Associate Team offers an opportunity to gain greater insight into the assessment of candidates. If you are a qualified Drama teacher, this will enable you to enhance your expertise within the classroom and will assist you in preparing your students for their exams.

If you have any questions about becoming a Visiting Examiner, please feel free to email me at rachel.levy@edexcel.com.
For more information about the role, fees, benefits and how to apply, please visit:
www.edexcel.com/aa-recruitment

Rachel Levy

AA Recruitment Assistant

One90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BH
T: +44 (0)20 7190 5218
E: rachel.levy@edexcel.com

Dear All,

I am writing to you on behalf of Action Transport Theatre Company to tell you about a new publication, The Skeleton Key, which shares the secrets of creating outstanding new plays for and by young people. You may be interested in this publication due to your interest in ideas for teaching Drama.

The Skeleton Key grew out of The Lockpickers' Ball, Action Transport Theatre's 2006 festival of new plays written for, by and with young people, and thus features exclusive insights from some of the leading young people's theatre companies from across the UK. The contributions are wide-ranging in their approach, and combine to create a very contemporary picture of developments in the Young People's Theatre sector.

As a young writer I was one of those who contributed to the publication, and personally feel that it is a genuine and exciting collection of experience and advice. Reviewers of The Skeleton Key have described its "fierce sort of inspiration" and "miraculous transformations", making it an invaluable text for anyone involved in theatrical production.

It details practical applications of innovative and experimental approaches to encouraging creativity, charts the resulting plays and performances, and has a particular emphasis on communal play-creation: the result is a highly useful and inspiring resource suited to inter-disciplinary work as well as to the needs of writers, actors, directors and producers.

In addition to The Skeleton Key, Action Transport Theatre has produced a DVD which explores the process of creating the collectively-written Night Train, putting some of the techniques described in the book into action. It features contributions from both the writers/actors of the project and the young people on whose stories the play was based, and reflects on the practicalities of the process.

Furthermore, Kevin Dyer, the Associate Writer of Action Transport, freelance playwright and writer of The Bomb, touring nationally 2008, has compiled a selection of advice from his experiences of creating theatre. His enthusiastic "how to write a play" documents, covering topics such as "The Pitch" and "Truth in Theatre", may be of use to you in the course of your work.

Copies of The Skeleton Key are available to buy directly from Action Transport Theatre for £10 (+ £1.50 p&p), with reductions for bulk purchases. If you are interested in or would like to know more about any of the products detailed above, please get in touch.

Yours faithfully,

Jenny Mills

A unique new Arts Council England-funded website has been created for young people that lifts the lid on the huge variety of careers available in the Theatre industry.

Part of the Young People's Participatory Theatre project (YPPT), www.getintotheatre.org is aimed at young people aged 14+.

It features over 140 case studies of people working in the full range of careers in the Theatre industry, from set design to fight directing, rigging to public relations, programming to marketing. Other features include a CV clinic, expert panel and regularly posted work experience and participatory opportunities.

My book "Moments of Truth: Monologues for Teen Girls and Young Women" has just been just published. It's a book I am very proud of and would like to share with you as I thought it might be of interest to visitors to this website

It is more than just a book of monologues; it's a workbook. The workbook questions help the actor in developing their character and bringing more of themselves to the pieces. These are brutally honest monologues based on real stories; my own and those of people I know. There are humorous monologues, heart wrenching pieces and everyday talk.

In the next two months it will be available on Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Borders. A free preview of the first ten pages is available on lulu.com.

I would love if you would check out my book and see if it might be of interest to you.

Visitors to this site may be interested in a new Arts council-funded website called www.getintotheatre.org .

It is aimed at 14-25s who want to work in theatre and explores around 80 career opportunities – on and off-stage.

Pivotal Education Ltd provide services for Drama teachers in the UK. They offer a Free Tips service. Members on their mailing list are emailed a new drama teaching tip every week. These are completely free and members can unsubscribe at any time.

They provide courses for drama teachers and have agreed to offer a discount to visitors to www.dramateachers.co.uk of 20% off the standard course price.

They also sell packs of Drama Schemes of Work for Secondary Drama teachers and are happy to email out samples of these packs to anyone who is interested.

Their other services include, INSET for drama teachers and Student Drama Workshops.

Try before you buy – to get a Sample of Pivotal Education's Secondary Drama Schemes of Work packs click here

For further details of their ‘Devising with Mask and Physical Theatre for GCSE and A-Level’ Course click here

A further report from Maria Gee regarding the September 2007 NATD Conference:

First the good news – there is no single supplement for rooms! And the accommodation has been upgraded at no extra charge so your weekend at Stoke Rochford will be a real treat! The rooms we had originally booked – in the 1960s block – are being re-furbished so we’ve been transferred into the luxury rooms in the Old Stable Block at no extra charge. So you can have a fabulous weekend conference in extra special surroundings and still for £320.

If you have already booked, you’ll be automatically upgraded. If you haven’t got your booking in yet, then get a wriggle on because we have a limited number of rooms left.

And now for the bad news. We’ve had a run of bad luck with booking the conference this year. Our Administrator was ill and then resigned so there was a fortnight when telephone enquirers found themselves talking to a bewildered man from the Community Sports department who knew nothing about the conference. Then the website went down. And now we’ve just been told that the Sheffield sorting office - through which our post to Kingstone School goes – has been badly flooded. So any mail sent in the last few days may be lost or damaged and normal service won’t resume until the end of next week.

If you have sent in your booking form recently, could you complete another copy (attached) and email it to our new Administrator, Kirsty at k.fechter@barnsley.org If you haven’t got round to sending in your form, then please treat this as a reminder. The closing date is 30 June but in the light of the problems at the sorting office, we’ve asked Stoke Rochford to give us a week’s extension.

Best wishes

Maria Gee

Chair – natd

To remind yourself of what a great weekend it’ll be, check out www.wlv.ac.uk/~in5127/natd (natd’s temporary website) and www.stokerochfordhall.co.uk

A rare opportunity for teachers, teacher educators and students to spend a day working with the legendary Dorothy Heathcote.

Dorothy Heathcote has spent more than half a century developing an internationally acclaimed methodology. Now in her 80s, she is still eagerly sought after to work in classrooms and universities around the world. And the reason for this is simple. Dorothy never rests on her laurels. Her thinking, her practice, is constantly evolving. She brings a freshness and artistic rigour to each event which sends all of us away keen to test new ideas for ourselves.

Join us at Warwick Arts Centre on Saturday 10 February 2007 for a very special day. We can promise you an unforgettable experience. The day will begin with Dorothy and her long-time collaborator, Eileen Pennington, in conversation – challenging and provoking each other in the most useful way! Those of you who watched this formidable double act at last year’s natd Annual Conference will be delighted to have another chance to hear these two great teachers develop their thinking alongside us. If you weren’t there then – then don’t miss this opportunity!

Afterwards, Dorothy will be leading a practical workshop, exploring with us the humanising capacities of drama. In particular, she’ll be probing the relationship between teaching and learning in drama practice. Dorothy has recently been working with the Crown Prosecution Service and this will form the basis of our practical work together.

The day will close with a chance for all of us to question our day’s work in an Open Forum with Dorothy and other leading practitioners.

Because of the practical nature of the day’s work, places are limited. In addition, there will be a number of reserved places for students at the special concessionary rate of £15.00. Bookings will be confirmed on a first come basis.

A day with Dorothy is jointly organised by WAC and natd – the national association for teachers of drama

September 2006

Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts and Liverpool Hope University Offer Part-Time MA in Performing Arts For Qualified Teachers

Lecturers at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and Liverpool Hope University are teaming-up on a new Master's degree programme, which is the first of its kind in the UK.

The brand new part-time MA in Performing Arts: Education will offer already-qualified teachers the chance to hone their skills in the teaching of the performing arts disciplines.

The course has been set up to offer teachers the chance to build on their training as participation in the performing arts in schools continues to widen.

The two-year programme, which is now recruiting for September 2006, will be taught during weekends and some school holidays. It will enable teachers to extend their own expertise and to network with others in the sector.

Staff at LIPA will be providing the performing arts expertise, while counterparts at Hope are offering their long-standing skills in teacher training.

Programme Leader at LIPA Dr Lee Higgins says the course will welcome teachers from primary school to university level, who are currently teaching within the field.

He said: "This is the first course of its kind on these shores in terms of developing the skills of qualified teachers in the performing arts at MA level.

It will allow teachers to develop best practice which they can immediately apply in their professional environment.

We're open to applications from teachers across the board, who have subject experience in the performing arts.

The link up with Hope is great news for us, as we're combining our strengths to provide what we hope will be an extremely fulfilling programme."

Lynn Campbell, who is the course leader for Hope's PGCE (Secondary) Performing Arts programme added: "This MA aims to meet the current training needs of individual teachers alongside the wider development of performing arts departments and the enhancement of performing arts provision in schools.

"Liverpool Hope University is a Grade One teacher training provider and is delighted to be part of this exciting and groundbreaking course."

The MA offers students the chance to take part in an exchange with the University of the Arts (UArts) in Philadelphia, who are also running the course in the USA in conjunction with LIPA and Hope.

For more information on the course, including module framework and fee guidelines, please visit the LIPA website at www.lipa.ac.uk

For further details on how to apply please call the admissions team on 0151 330 3000 or email admissions@lipa.ac.uk

Please contract Chris Smith in the LIPA Press Office on 0151 330 3143 or email c.smith1@lipa.ac.uk for further information.

The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) was established by Mark Featherstone-Witty and Sir Paul McCartney and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. LIPA is dedicated to providing the best teaching and learning for people who want to pursue a lasting career in the arts and entertainment economy, whether as performers or those who make performance possible.

Chris Smith
Marketing Assistant

Tel: +44 (0)151 330 3143
Email: c.smith1@lipa.ac.uk

Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
Mount Street
Liverpool
L1 9HF

Natd, the National Association for the Teaching of Drama, is holding a very special conference this summer.

Leading drama in education practitioners such as Dorothy Heathcote, Jonothan Neelands and Eileen Pennington will be there.

But what really makes this a conference not to be missed is that Mick Waters, Director of Curriculum at QCA, will be there too. He’s interested in the potential for learning through Drama.

The aim of the conference is to create a submission to QCA’s curriculum review. Yes – real teachers will have their voices listened to!

Oh – and it’s a great weekend – lots of ideas to take back to school and great company. Hard work and hard play!

Visit www.natd.net for further details.

Do you have any Drama News? Contact news@dramateachers.co.uk to notify visitors to this site.

BA (Hons) Degree in Theatre Studies by Distance Learning is a world's first for Rose Bruford College

Since Rose Bruford, a drama teacher, set up her own drama school in 1950, the college which bears her name has been at the forefront of innovation and is now one of the most well respected theatre training colleges, nationally and internationally.

Her course in actor training was unique and paved the way for illustrious careers on stage and in film by many of those who were fortunate enough to have been taught by her methods.

In 1976 the college introduced the first acting degree and since then has been building up a range of programmes appropriate to the many professional skills allied to the theatre.

The Rose Bruford College's BA (Hons) degree in Theatre Studies by distance learning, is "The only one of its kind in the world," according to Jayne Richards, speaking on behalf of the college.

Jayne also states that," the Theatre Studies Degree has been running very successfully for over ten years and has a cohort of students from across the globe, many of whom are Drama Teachers."

"These days, the College is associated with focusing on contemporary theatre and performance practices and keeps up to speed with current events in world-class theatre and scholarship. While Rose herself started the whole thing in the 1950s, the College and its perspectives have moved a long way forward."

"Soon the college will be offering the chance for teachers who do not wish to take the full degree but would like to embark on some inset training in key topics, to take single modules. This will be an advantage for teachers of A Level, for instance, who wish to develop their knowledge of (for example) Brecht, Stansislavski, Theatre Design, Directing, Devising, Shakespeare in Performance, and other topics."

If you would like to find out more, then kindly ring, e-mail, fax or write to request a brochure using the contact information below and explaining that you heard about the course from the www.dramateachers.co.uk website.

Rose Bruford College,

Lamorbey Park,

Sidcup,

Kent

England

DA15 9DF

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8308 2600

Fax: +44 (0) 20 8308 0542

E-mail: enquiries@bruford.ac.uk

Website: www.bruford.ac.uk