Viewpoints workshop

Viewpoints

What can one do when feeling lost on stage? What are those elements which one can rely on in every circumstance? How can one sharpen the mind and senses to the ever-changing present onstage? In this course we are looking for the answers to these and more questions.

During this one-week-long workshop the participants will be able to study and practice the basics of Viewpoints technique for 4 hours every day. During the training the trainees will find some practical tools to support their improvisation skills.

Viewpoints technique is part of a philosophy that tries to answer the question: 'what are the core elements of performing'. Choreographer/dancer Mary Overlie spent more than forty years answering this question and developing her theory. She created a practice where six materials (space, shape, time, emotion, movement, and story) can be researched and trained in order to better understand artistic research. Rooted in post-modernism, the practice is further developed by Anne Bogart, Tina Landau SITI Company. Tina Landau SITI. Nowadays many theatre artists incorporate this technique into their creative process.

As a method of actor training, Viewpoints encourages actors to focus less on their characters’ psychology and more on observation and movement. The Viewpoints are used to build a strong ensemble and create dynamic stage moments. It invites and encourages performers to investigate the materials and build vivid conversation with the elements of time and space through playful theatrical research. This way, training the Viewpoints develops flexibility, articulation, strength in movement and allows a group of performers to function together spontaneously and intuitively.

This project has been supported using public funds provided by Slovak Arts Council and Nadácia mesta Bratislava.

Tutors:

Judith Sleddens (NL)

Judith Sleddens is an actress, theatre maker, teacher, voice-over, and the founder of Training Ensemble Nederland. She creates and performs her own work as well as performing with other companies both nationally and internationally. Judith performed in Lampenmakers, a show about PHILIPS (Het Zuidelijk Toneel & Parktheater Eindhoven) nd in 2018 her show PUHAHA, a performance about celebration, was performed in Amsterdam. She was nominated for the Graduation Prize 2018 from the Academy for Theater and Dance. Currently Judith is one of the headteachers in acting at Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts. Other than that, she teaches at universities such as ArtEZ muziektheater, PACT+ Theater, ad Codarts Rotterdam. Judith started with the Suzuki and Viewpoints training in 2010. She trained with SITI Company, Mary Overlie and SCOT Company, Japan.

Gábor Viktor Kozma (HU)

Gábor Viktor Kozma is Freelance Actor, Acting Coach, Doctorate student and University Assistant. He graduated at the University of Arts in Tîrgu-Mureș, Romania. Recently he is researching psychophysical actor training methods as a part of his doctorate studies there. He is a member of the International Suzuki Company of Toga. He has the scholarship position in the Scholarship Program 2018-2021 of the Hungarian Academy of Arts. From 2019 Gábor is teaching as lecturer at the University of Babes-Bolyai at Cluj-Napoca, Romania at the Theatre and Film Department. He became a university assistant in 2020. He is the artistic director of the Chance of the Hunter theatre ensemble based in Hungary. For further information please feel free to visit his website: www.gaborviktorkozma.com