​Professional development sits as a cornerstone of Out East Creative's mission.
With extensive contacts in the performing arts industry throughout New Zealand and internationally, director, Andy Brigden loves to connect practicing and emerging artists with other experts in their field to expand skills and inspire creativity.

Andy regularly trains with Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre’s Christchurch Actors Dojo in the Suzuki Method of Actor Training, Butoh, Viewpoints and Composition. In 2019 she attended Zen Zen Zo’s annual 2 week Stomping Ground intensive in Brisbane,  a week-long Stomp in Amsterdam, followed by a week each on an Artist’s Retreat in Bulgaria and  the NZ Stomp retreat in Hanmer Springs with more of her New Zealand and Australian colleagues.

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COMING UP IN HAWKE'S BAY
FRIDAY 3RD / SATURDAY 4TH JULY 2020

An Introduction to the Viewpoints with Alys Hill - Zen Zen Zo NZ 

​Out East Creative is excited to present this long awaited 2 day workshop which was postponed in 2019 due to unforeseen circumstances and then halted again due to Covid 19.

This workshop, facilitated by Alys Hill, Associate Director of Zen Zen Zo’s Christchurch arm of the Brisbane based physical theatre company, and involving current members of Zen Zen Zo NZ's performance company and Actor's Dojo has been generously supported by Hasting District Council's Creative Communities fund and sponsored by Out East Creative Ltd.

As we prepare to enter Level 1 in our changed Covid 19 world, where the performing arts have been hit hard, we believe that now is the best time to get back into the flow space with our colleagues, develop new skills and form new and exciting collaborations.
We are also acutely aware that financially it has been, and will continue to be for many artists in our community.
In light of this, the workshop (limited to 20 participants and up to 5 observers) will be presented on a 'Pay What You Can' basis (minimum $20 deposit to secure place). 
This opportunity is open to Hawke's Bay performers, directors, devisers, dancers and drama teachers from age 16 upwards. Previous applicants from the 2019 postponed workshop will get the first option to participate, before we open it up to the wider performing arts community.
The workshop will run as follows at Keirunga Theatre, Havelock North:
Friday 3rd July - 6.00 - 9.00pm
Saturday 4th July 9am - 4.30pm
There will be an optional networking dinner on Saturday 4 July from 6pm at a venue to be confirmed.

As this will be a sort after professional development opportunity in Hawke's Bay at a crucial time for our industry (and with numbers  limited to 20) successful applicants will be required to confirm that they are available to attend both days of the workshop and must commit to attendance by making a deposit of $20 to secure their place.
Further information about the Viewpoints below.
                                         
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​​The Viewpoints is a training technique developed by renowned American director Anne Bogart and the SITI Company, and it has been utilised by Zen Zen Zo as one of its core training methods for the past 20 years. Lynne and Simon (Founders of Zen Zen Zo) were the first practitioners to teach and work with the Viewpoints in Australia. The Viewpoints focus on reawakening the actor’s instincts through impulse work and play, and explore the basic elements of performance – the body in time and space – so that the artist can learn to use them articulately when performing and creating new work. The training is all ensemble-based, with each actor learning to respond impulsively and playfully to their fellow performers. The Viewpoints training also develops the fundamental performance skills that help an actor/ dancer/ performer to achieve a dynamic stage presence.
Vocal Viewpoints extends upon the physical Viewpoints to include the use of the voice. The work explores the voice like a musical instrument, focussing on extending the actor’s range and diversity of expression. Bogart acknowledges that fear and habit too often engender a narrow range in an actor’s vocal expression. Vocal Viewpoints training highlights these limitations and encourages more radical and dynamic vocal choices, as well as the development of a strong and holistic “body-voice”.

    book for the viewpoints workshop