Photo by Moonrider Productions
Student Workshop Experience
Book a workshop and a behind-the-scenes tour for the 2024–2025 season!
Teachers are invited to enrich their students’ educational experience with Arts Club workshops! We offer a variety of workshops that explore the performing arts and enhance life skills such as confidence, teamwork, and self-expression through theatre practice.
Workshops can be offered in person (at an Arts Club venue or in your classroom) or online.
You can also book a behind-the-scenes tour at each of our stages: the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, Granville Island Stage, and Newmont Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre.
For more information or to book, contact Mikenzie Page, Education & Community Engagement Coordinator, at mpage@artsclub.com.
THIS PROGRAM IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY
| OPTIONS | FEES* |
| • 1-hour workshop | $150 |
| • 1.5-hour workshop | $185 |
| • 2-hour workshop | $250 |
| • 3-hour workshop | $350 |
| • 1-hour behind-the-scenes tour | $75 |
*Does not include GST; full payment is due two weeks prior to workshop/tour.
To book your workshop, contact Mikenzie Page, Education & Community Engagement Coordinator, at mpage@artsclub.com.
We are happy to offer a variety of workshops exploring a diverse range of theatre practices. Can’t find what you’re looking for in the list below? Reach out to us and we’ll plan a tailor-made workshop for your students' needs. To book your workshop, contact Mikenzie Page, Education & Community Engagement Coordinator, at mpage@artsclub.com.
ACTING/SCENE WORK
TEXT ANALYSIS FOR ACTORS
Grades 10–12
Instructor: Raugi Yu
Create the unshakable foundation on which to build a truthful performance. Using a very specific, tried-and-true system of breaking down performance text and focusing on the facts of the written word on the page, identify the rhythms of text and how the characters breathe. You will be ready to move on to interpreting the text after this first crucial step of analysis.
DEVISING/THEATRE CREATION
LEARNING LECOQ: MATERIALS—AN EXPLORATION INTO RELATIONSHIPS
Grades 8–12
Instructor: Ming Hudson
Dive into the pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq. By exploring characters, relationships, and stories hidden in everyday materials, students will be challenged to embody abstract concepts to create new work based on physical movement. What stories can we find in two magnets attracting and repelling each other? Or in a sugar cube dissolving in water? Take this workshop and find that out and more!
STORY WEAVING: DEVISING THEATRE
Grades 7–12
Instructor: Damion LeClair
In this workshop, actors will learn how to create original theatrical works with the use of sound, movement, moments and breath. Actors will have the opportunity to connect the teachings of Laban to the teachings of Miruel Miguel's Story Weaving exercise, while exploring storytelling in a non-linear fashion. Actors are encouraged to bring meaningful stories from their lives or works of fiction to create original theatrical works through a decolonized lens.
TABLEAU VIVANT—MAKING PICTURES COME TO LIFE
Grades 8–12
Instructor: Susan Bertoia
Using naturalistic and abstract paintings as the springboard for creating new worlds of play, this workshop is an engaging way to reimagine the static tableau. Students play with the dynamics of stage pictures (silent/non-speaking narratives), then through their imagination begin to devise new and authentic theatre pieces. Text and spoken word can be added to these tableaus to further increase and support the pieces. Suitable for teachers of all subjects, with special focus on drama, English, and Social Studies.
IMPROV
FAIL FREELY
Grades 8–12
Instructor: Aidan Parker
Students and educators will learn to foster an environment that encourages risk-taking and pushes students to rebuild their inner relationship with failure. Through a series of fun and challenging games and exercises, the group will be given the tools to build a culture that embraces failure as a stepping-stone to growth, rather than a detriment to success. Whether you want to build trust within a team, increase the positivity and productivity in your workplace or classroom, or bolster your own self-confidence, this workshop will get you on your feet and shooting for the stars in no time.
ON THE SPOT
Grades 8–12
Instructor: Camille Legg
This workshop teaches students the basics of improv through games and exercises. Students will have the chance to access their impulses and imagination, while also learning how to establish strong platforms for improvised scenes. There will be an emphasis on saying “Yes” and having fun. This workshop is suitable for teachers of all subjects, with a special focus on drama.
MOVEMENT
BODY AND SPACE—ENERGY, LEVELS, AND RHYTHM
Grades 7–12
Instructor: Julio Rod Marín
Explore the relationship between the body and the performing space. How does the performer’s energy change the environment when entering or exiting the stage? How does it affect other performers? During the workshop, we'll play with moving through space, using levels and types of energy, and create short movement pieces. All this by using the elements of Etienne Decroux’s Dynamo-rhythms and other physical theatre practices.
CHOREOGRAPHED FIGHTING WITH PROPS
Grades 7–12
Instructors: Hitotose Performers (Haruno Niiyama, Yuki Kedoin)
Hitotose is a group specializing in Japanese-style stage combat. This workshop is designed for participants of all levels who are interested in stage combat skills. Participants will learn fundamental stage combat techniques with weapons and essential acting elements such as reactions. This session emphasizes non-verbal communication and physical acting without dialogue. We highlight the importance of vocal cues, eye contact for safety, and facial/body expression to elevate performance quality. This workshop aims to uncover the power of physical storytelling through combat choreography while offering a fun and memorable experience for both you and your audience!
SAFETY, STORY, AND STYLE: AN INTRODUCTION TO STAGE COMBAT
Grades 7–12
Instructor: Mike Kovac
Jump into the world of stage combat with this energetic, accessible, and engaging workshop! Focusing on safety through partnering, clear communication, and accurate technique, participants will be up and moving throughout as they explore and learn. Ever wanted to know how stage combatants and stunt performers simulate violence without getting hurt? Join up and find out!
THREE RING THEATRE: JUGGLING, MAGIC, AND NON-VERBAL STORYTELLING
Grade 8–12
Instructor: Michael Charrois
This is an active and physical workshop that explores street performing skills that can be used to tell stories. Learn and practice a step-by-step technique for a 3-ball cascade juggling pattern. Learn about the techniques of magic: load, palm, switch, ditch, steal, simulation, and misdirection, and practice how to use music, illusions, and magic tricks as magical endings for non-verbal scenes.
MUSICAL THEATRE
BREAKING DOWN A SONG: MUSIC AS BEHAVIOUR
Grades 8–12
Instructor: Peter Jorgensen
Learn to break down a musical theatre song to understand the dramatic intent behind compositional choices. This process provides simple ideas to explore with students, who will work on song interpretation to help integrate the worlds of music and drama into a unified expression.
MUSICAL THEATRE DANCE: TAPPING INTO YOUR DANCE SKILLS
Grades 7–12
Instructor: Jennifer Lynch
Jump into the world of choreography to communicate a story set to the backdrop and rhythms of some of the greatest musical theatre hits!
“Tapping into Your Dance Skills” is a specialized class designed to empower participants by addressing their concerns and challenges in dance auditions, ensuring a transformative learning experience. In the first section, participants openly discuss their worries and struggles during auditions. Moving seamlessly into the second section, the class transitions into dance. Participants will learn a short combo, honing their technical skills and applying their newfound audition skills. The focus here is not only on learning the steps but also on expressing individuality and style, crucial elements in any successful dance audition.
WRITING
PLAYWRITING 101
Grades 7–12
Instructor: Sydney Marino
In this workshop, students will participate in a variety of solo and group activities to immerse themselves in the key elements of playwriting: creating dramatic and comedic characters, writing convincing dialogue, and crafting compelling conflict. Students will have the chance to use comedy writing techniques to create wild characters and wacky scenes while being introduced to the world of playwriting.
DESK JOKES TO SURVIVE DARK TIMES
Grades 10–12
Instructor: Lauren Martin
Do you love SNL’s Weekend Update? Last Week Tonight with John Oliver? Or do you want to learn how structure to make sure you get a laugh every time you tell a joke? This workshop encourages participants to learn basic joke structure and how to write jokes inspired by current events to strengthen their comedy writing and find humour in troubling times.”
Students
"Thank you so much for letting us into your theater and workshop. It was very cool to see the place that made the props for the play. None of the other places we went to showed us their workshops. In the workshop, getting to talk to one of the builders about their process of making some of the props was an eye-opening experience. The way they were able to make so many different materials from just foam and paint was amazing. I liked going backstage and seeing the similarities and differences between your theater and our theater at home. Hearing about how this theater was run and then actually seeing it in action later that night was amazing. The actual show was spectacular. It was the best theater production I have ever seen. The music was just breathtaking, and I enjoyed the audience participation."
"Probably the best workshop I've had in a long time."
"As an actor, I don't think about who makes the signs, and who does the tickets sales and all that but we got to meet all those people and there was a face to that."
"It opened my eyes and I would really like it if someone recommended it to me."
Teachers
"I wanted to extend another thank you for hosting us on Friday afternoon with the tour and Stage Combat workshop with Kovac and Sylvie. The students had a fantastic time and really pushed their limits on the stage combat arena. Some of them are even interested in possibly getting more training. I will try to keep those fires burning! Kovac and Sylvie are amazing instructors, they know how to engage students while keeping them safe, and they’re just so fun! The folks in the workshop opened the students to the possibilities while also explaining to them that building for theatre is not like building homes and massively helps develop problem solving skills on a daily."
"Thank you all for giving our class a fantastic tour of the stage and shop yesterday. It was a great way to show our students a new aspect of designing and building as they are about to get hands-on with their first woodworking project. It was also really good for our staff—as working artists ourselves, we could probably listen to other artists talk about their areas of expertise for hours."
"Our grade twos were blown away! They had such a great time and they loved how they got special treatment getting to meet the people behind-the-scenes, getting a sneak peek at some of the costumes, and learning about all the ways the stage can transform. Many of them expressed excitement to their parents, who are now looking forward to also visiting the theatre to see any upcoming shows. So, thanks for putting together the tour and making it really special for the kids."
"100%. I would love to do it again!"
"We took a group of actors, and tech kids and orchestra members and it met all of their different interests."