WORKSHOPS WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
Girls Act Good is proud to support emerging and established creative artists. We hire our own members as well as outsourcing specialised facilitators to run workshops for GAG to enhance, develop and nurture the ensemble’s skills in a fun and supportive environment.
If you are interested in any of the workshops please contact us to discuss options for a GAG member to facilitate one for you and your group.
C R E A T I V E D E V E L O P M E N T & A R T I S T R E S I D E N C Y
W I T H J E N N I F E R M O N K
This creative development primarily focused on women’s experiences in mental asylums from the past, present and future. Examining mental health treatments and the institutions that housed them. Whether they helped or in fact broke mind, body and spirit. This development consisted of a mix of research, creative writing and imagination to bring these silenced stories alive.
The history of Asylums, mental hospitals and institutions in Australia has always fascinated the group, especially since the pandemic and the re structure of the current mental health system. Now more than ever they have the impetus to delve into this creative project that has been sitting on Jennifer’s ‘to do list’.
We have started the initial stages; researching intuitions and the people who were patients (or inmates as called by some) as well as staff who worked and lived there. We are planning excursions to visit institutions that are no longer in use, so we can get a feel for the world.
- Jennifer Monk
The Artist Residency allowed GAG members the physical space to meet up as a collective and flesh out the story from their four months of research. It allowed them the time and patience to really sink their teeth into this new project and hopefully gain the structure of a script.
M A K E A M O V I E W I T H Y O U R P H O N E
W I T H J E N N I F E R M O N K
In this workshop participants were given an opportunity to create their own film from start to finish and enter it into a film festival. Jennifer gave tips, guidelines and advice on producing their film to be festival ready. This included schedules to action, suggested resources to use and how to facilitate marketing and publicity plans for the films release.
Everyone has a great idea for a short film and a potential movie camera in their pocket.
All films were shot entirely on a smartphone or tablet, ran between 30 seconds – 15 minutes and were edited using any software, apps on either your phone or computer.
Two films were created out of this workshop - The Curse by Shanon Kulupach and River Hags created by Jennifer Monk with Lee McClenaghan, Lisa Dallinger and Kelley Kerr Young.
L E T T I N G L O O S E
W I T H L I S A D A L L I N G E R
In this workshop participants had the opportunity to play and have some fun with text! Starting with a thorough vocal warm up to prepare the body, breath and mind, participants then were taken through a series of exercises to help them explore the infinite range of choices available to them when working on a text. Often actors get caught in their heads and stuck in a purely cerebral interpretation, however, this workshop helped them to find a different way in. The exercises aimed to help participants be more connected to their body, breath and impulses so that they can make new discoveries and develop a more dynamic and embodied delivery.
“Through working with Lisa Dallinger I discovered things within the text that made me more grounded and present to the moment.”
“Really enjoyed being super free. I never felt like I was acting. Felt like it came out of me rather than calculating what to do””
To find out more about Lisa Dallinger and her workshops
G A G G O E S U S A
W I T H L I S A D A L L I N G E R
In this workshop GAG members brushed up on their General American accents. Lisa helped members to identify the setting and placement of the accent, learn and practice the required vowel and consonant shifts as well as to embody the intonation and rhythm of the accent. Lisa then assisted GAG members to apply the results to text work whereby the accent could be explored within a scene.
“I found Lisa’s USA workshop fantastic. I have had different voice coaches for accent work in the past but she is the first one to really explain the mechanics of it. Learning about the placement in the mouth and exercises to do to assist with this placement was invaluable. The workshop was relaxed and covered a lot of information in a short space of time. Even though I still have a way to go to completely master the General American accent, I left the workshop feeling so much more confident in my ability and excited to continue to work on it.”
C L O C K T O W E R C E N T R E S T U D I O
R E S I D E N C Y
W I T H J E N N I F E R M O N K
The Clocktower Studio Residency is open to local artists, performers or community arts organisations that wish to develop a creative work. Applicants are encouraged to include at least one community outcome that can be offered to community members at no cost. For example a performance, open rehearsal, reading, exhibition or workshop within their application.
Over the summer Jennifer Monk spent time interviewing women from rural Victoria and Melbourne to inspire this new work which is called Ladies of the Bay.
I used the Clocktower Residency to direct members of Girls Act Good (GAG) to develop and create a new piece of work inspired by these women’s real life stories. Ladies of the Bay has also been influenced by The Scrims song Queen of the Bay and by George Caddy’s exhibition Bondi Jitterbug. All these influences were workshopped through the 14 day residency to create this new play for GAG to produce in the future. The work explores what it’s like growing up and being a female in Australia, particularly during summer. The piece looks at and reveals female moments through time - fun, grief, happiness, horror, fear, excitement and love.
WEEK 1 was spent watching all the video footage of the interviews and researching bushfires, in particular Ash Wednesday and Black Saturday and was spent putting the story together. Jennifer wanted to produce a narrative play using all these stories. So time was spent sorting a lot of the material into themes, characters and moments that resonated with the participants of the residency. A story treatment and structure was written up followed by the job of writing the first draft. Lisa Dallinger and Constance Washington worked with Jennifer to create this story.
WEEK 2 was spent writing and editing the script. Participants were given certain sections of the interview videos of dialogue to transpose so it could be used directly in the script. This script is 90% material that have come from these women’s stories and lives! Twenty women were interviewed and generously shared their stories with Jennifer. From these interviews four diverse characters were created Tracy, Nat, Fiona and Naomi. Time was spent reading and rehearsing the first draft for the showing of the Staged Reading of Ladies of the Bay, a community outcome that was a requirement of the two week residency. This Staged Reading was performed by Jennifer Monk, Kelley Kerr Young and non GAG members Caroline Wood and Laura Sutton.
It was great having outside actors from GAG to bring something fresh and new to the piece, especially after working on it so closely and intensely for 2 weeks.
K E E P I N G I T R E A L
An acting workshop and collaborative session.
This workshop was designed to broaden your acting toolbox and get you out of your head.
The sessions were about the sharing of other ways to come at your work with more honesty. Members were prepared to work openly on independent activities that gave them a little taste of what the technique is about.
The main ideas that sessions focus on were Calling Behaviour, Relativity of Doing, Activity Work and Pinch / Ouch.
Workshop was held at Studio V in Collingwood.
G A G A R T I S T C O A S T A L R E T R E A T 2 0 1 8
This retreat was for GAG members to get away from the city and spend some quality time with nature, to rejuvenate and delve into their personal creative projects. Everyone had the flexibility to work by themselves without interruption, with the luxury of having other creatives close by to ask for input and advice. It was a chance to relax, hone our craft and explore any new creative passions.
Most importantly we had the opportunity to chat with each other outside of a working environment making our bond as a creative sisterhood stronger, deeper and ready for the next adventure!
W R I T I N G W O R K S H O P W I T H
P E R R I C U M M I N G S
APRIL / MAY 2018
'Last Breath' is a web series inspired by the stories of real Australian women executed or imprisoned for life for murder. Perri Cummings (Neighbours, Trench, The Association), designed this Writing Workshop for members to research, develop and write a monologue inspired by these real women and their stories.
Perri facilitated the workshop in a safe and supportive environment allowing the members to feel comfortable and inspiring them to write from their heart and soul to produce unique and truthful monologues. In this workshop members were introduced to essay, editorial and memoire writing; learnt about character mask technique and how to use it to create a compelling monologue; explored free writing to find their personal and character’s ‘writing premises’ and ‘circle of being’ as well as keeping emotional journals. Practical exercises were incorporated to the sessions to further develop the authenticity between the members and the characters they were developing through inner monologue work and personal props.
“ Perri’s experience and expertise in the field shone through her teaching yet her gentle manner enabled everyone to feel willing to participate. Throughout the process we also received wonderful individualised feedback so we could all keep developing consistently. One can’t help feel inspired after working with Perri and partaking in such a thorough and structured yet highly creative workshop series.”
“Perri was amazing. She created a safe and open space for us to be incredibly creative - it was a process of then unravelling our research and putting it on the page. She is a wizard with words and also with allowing these characters to live within us and assist on getting them out on the page. She’s honestly incredible!”
G O A L S E T T I N G W I T H E M I L Y J O Y
JANUARY 2017
Self tapes, private coaching and mentorships are the services Emily supplies. Emily facilitated a workshop on how to set realistic gaols for ones career and advised tools on how to achieve these goals.
W E E K E N D R E T R E A T
NOVEMBER 2016
A creative weekend for members to explore different acting techniques and career tips. We filled a house on the coast with strong, talented and passionate women who shared their skills, professional experience and training in a fun and supportive environment. Workshops over the two days were facilitated by GAG members for members including improvisation, accounting, writing for web series, industry chat, salsa, voice, spoken word poetry and a screening of Cinders and the Seven Stages of Grief behind the scenes footage.
M I N I F I L M S C H O O L W I T H
S H A N O N K U L U P A C H
NOVEMBER 2016
BRAND - a dirty word to any creative being BUT super helpful. This workshop is about where you fit in the TV/Film world before you get to be Meryl Streep. What does your energy project just as you alone? Understanding how you are perceived just by your mannerisms, tone, clothes etc, helps to finding your type. Your “type” is where you start your TV/ Film journey.
Shanon started screen acting in 2000 and has since worked with many of Australia's top casting directors an acted in TV and film. Shanon was nominated for Best Actress at the Melbourne 48 Film Festival.
"When acting for camera you don't have to act the character because you are already that brand, that character. In front of the camera you just have to be you" - Shanon Kulupach
A C T I O N T H E A T R E W I T H D A N I E L L E C R I S P
AUGUST 2016
Action Theater is an improvisational physical theatre training and performance method created by Ruth Zaporah.
Danielle Cresp is the only teacher in Australia who runs Action Theatre workshops, and Girls Act Good was lucky enough to have a private workshop with her at the Howard Fine Studios in July 2016. Find out more about Action Theatre in Melbourne.
C I R C U S W I T H C L E O C U T C H E R
JULY 2016
Cleo Cutcher is a circus & physical theatre artist based in Melbourne. She has worked with many companies, as performer, devisor and facilitator, including Westside Circus, Women’s Circus, Circus Oz, Sweet’n’Sour Circus, Think Blink Theatre, Oxford Children’s Theatre, King Victoria (Melbourne), Swamp Circus, Greentop Circus, Meddling Pixies (UK), El Cirque Revolution (Tenerife) and Epic Arts (Cambodia).
Cleo has done a train the trainer course with Cirque Du Monde and has run numerous programs for schools and community groups working towards a performance and also where there is a focus on social development and group cohesion.
Cleo facilitated circus classes for GAG which included trust and balance exercises, basic circus shapes, simple partner and group balances, juggling and hula hooping.
V O I C E W I T H L I S A D A L L I N G E R
MARCH 2015 AND APRIL 2016
Lisa Dallinger initially facilitated a 6 week Voice and Alexander Technique course for members. The course investigated the key foundations of excellent voice use: posture/body, breath, ease and vocal support. Lisa guided participants towards developing a greater awareness of their own habits, so they may then learn to redirect their thinking to find more ease in their voice use and performance. They explored vocal connection and expression: resonance, range and articulation. Lisa offered the participants a chance to extend their vocal skill and deepen the connection between their thoughts and feelings and their voice. The course had a heavy Alexander Technique focus, but also embodied techniques of other influential vocal practitioners such as Kristen Linklater, Barbara Houseman, Cicely Berry and Patsy Rodenburg.
Lisa ran another series of workshops in 2016 and is contracted by GAG members for outside projects as voice and dialect coach on a regular basis.
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