PRACTICE LAB is our peer-to-peer skills exchange programme with twice-monthly free workshops by and for migrant theatre makers, offered in partnership with Rich Mix in London. These workshops are aimed at broadening the knowledge base of the migrant artist community and extending our network of creative connections
If you’re a first generation migrant theatre maker, PRACTICE LAB is for you!
To sign up for a workshop, just email the artist leading the workshop to reserve a place. They will contact you directly with more information.
All workshops take place at Rich Mix, East London’s vibrant home for culture and creativity - 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA, England.
Wednesday 29th January 6.30-8.30
Stepping in Situ - led by Francesca Matthys (South Africa)
This workshop is informed by parts of Francesca’s known South African lineage, spiritual and artistic practice. Participants will be guided through a compassionate yet rigorous practice encompassing improvisational scores and choreographic explorations, acknowledging the pelvis as a site that holds connections and disconnections to ancestral wisdoms, intuition and identity, as well as original adaptations of the Nama Stap Dance that finds rhythm in the feet. The Nama Stap Dance, originating from a rite of passage practice of the Nama people who are descents of the Khoi and San indigenous people of Southern Africa, where Francesca finds parts of her lineage.
This workshop has taken place.
Sunday 9th February 3.30-5.30
Body & Voice - led by Rudzani Moleya (South Africa)
In this workshop we will be exploring how the body and voice are connected. Using daily gestures/actions we will use improvised movement to create movement phrases/scores. Once these phrases and scores have been developed we will explore how the voice is impacted or impacts the scores. This is an embodied practice which is open to everyone.
This workshop has taken place.
Wednesday 26th February 6.30-8.30
DIY Devising Tools for Digital Character Creation - led by Simone French (Australia)
As part of her upcoming tour of 'A Suffocating Choking Feeling' - a show about social media personas and online manipulation, Simone will lead participants through her devising tools for character creation. Using a DIY approach, we'll make short video pieces playing with characters using the Rich Mix space, your phone, filters & props Simone provides. This is a fun and playful 2hr workshop for experimenting and sharing ideas.
To sign up for this workshop, please email Simone.
Sunday 9th March 3.30-5.30
Feet, Wings and Tails - led by Namoo Chae Lee (Korea)
In this workshop, we explore how performers can connect themselves to space and others by developing their spatial awareness and physical imagination through breathing and walking techniques sprouted from Korean tradition. By using feet, wings and tails, we will learn to live in our bodies and position ourselves in specific time and space. This workshop is suitable for actors and movement practitioners.
To sign up for this workshop, please email Namoo.
Wednesday 2nd April 6.30-8.30
Chinese Opera Movement: Exploring Embodiment through Laban Technique - led by Ya Gāo (China)
Discover the dynamic world of the Chinese opera movement through the lens of Laban Efforts. This interactive workshop invites actors, movers, and theatre-makers to expand their physical vocabulary and deepen their embodiment. By blending the precision and expressiveness of Chinese opera with Laban’s framework of movement analysis, participants will explore new pathways for storytelling and character development. Through guided exercises, creative play, and reflective practice, you'll leave with a richer sense of physical awareness and an expanded toolkit for performance.
To sign up for this workshop, please email Ya Gāo.
Sunday 13th April 3.30-5.30
Shaping a Text for Performance – led by Greta Rilletti-Zaltieri (Italy)
Aimed at creatives of any level, from performers to directors and anyone in between, this workshop offers a practical method to shape a text for performance. By breaking down a text and identifying the actions and intentions underpinning it, we will gain insight into how to deeply understand material and perform it with clarity and focus. This workshop is open to anyone and will offer you the opportunity to master this technique and apply it to your practice.
To sign up for this workshop, please email Greta.
Wednesday 30th April 6.30-8.30
The [Contemporary] Greek Chorus - led by Emily Louizou (Greece).
During this 2-hour workshop we will focus on the power of collective storytelling. Drawing inspiration from the principles of the Ancient Greek chorus, and exploring the power of ensemble-led theatre, we will explore tools with which as performers we can act as storytellers on stage. This session is addressed to all kinds of theatremakers and performers, and it will focus on both text and movement.
To sign up for this workshop, please email Emily.
If you’d like to run a workshop, please contact Anna on anna@projekteuropa.org