Shakespeare

Julia Wilson-Dickson teaches workshops for Studio France with a core in the voice and its application, using Shakespeare and poetry as its tools. There are two different workshops hosted by Julia, you can either attend a week on Shakespeare's monologues, sonnets and scenes (Strictly Shakespeare) or indeed a broader week with and a huge range of poetry from all periods, styles and nationalities.

She will take you through a week designed to give you more confidence in your voice, and ways of using it to make the words come alive with honesty and realism. Pre-conceptions and pretentiousness are not part of the course!

The student of the living word will find new depths of understanding and enjoyment whilst listening to others bringing their own choices to life.

A central purpose of these week-long workshops is to ensure that every minute is about the love of literature and the enjoyment appreciation and support of your colleagues without even a hint of a sense of competition that can invade genuine development and growth.

When working on the Shakespeare Workshop, Julia's passion and knowledge allow you to feel totally supported in being able try all aspects of his work. There is freedom for the men to try out female roles and the women to try those magificent male speeches they have always longed to have a go at, and those difficult or 'so well known' pieces. The day will start with a voluntary voice class and warm-up.

Within the Poetry week there is the opportunity to study famous and unknown poets; some of the celebrated poems as well as some more obscure works. The group can find themselves on a bit of an emotional rollacoaster, looking at tragic and romantic poems whilst not forgetting the fun and frivolous side of the humorous poets.

During your time with Studio France, it is likely you will find yourself working with people who have shown an interest in what Julia is doing in SW France, including Prunella Scales, Roger Kuin (author of 'Chamber Music - Elizabethan Sonnet-Sequences and the Pleasure of Criticism).

Both workshops have the backdrop of a beautiful French village, excellent food and wine as well as time to discover a truly lovely area. Studio France will look after you from the moment you land at Toulouse Airport where you are met, you will have a comfortable room in the village of Labarthe-Bleys and Pippa will cook you delicious meals and create fantastic picnic lunches everyday of your stay.

There is time to discover the area with visits to Cordes-sur-Ciel and for those who want to, we can arrange for a trip to Albi and one or two French markets. During the week, you will also meet Pierre and Isabelle Chatelus, French friends of Julia's and Pippa's and if possible, we will arrange for dinner with them, so you can really feel that at the end of the week you have discovered a magical area of France, felt inspired by working with Julia and re-freshed after a being so well looked after.

DATES:
Saturday 2 August - Saturday 9 August 2008
Saturday 6 September - Saturday 13th September 2008