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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260420T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260420T203000
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SUMMARY:Managing Performance Anxiety: Practical Tools for Performers
DESCRIPTION:This online workshop explores performance anxiety — what it is\, why it happens\, and how we can begin to loosen its grip. \nStage fright is often experienced as something to fight or overcome\, but in reality it is a natural human response. When we perceive a threat\, the brain’s amygdala activates the body’s fight\, flight or freeze response — even when the “danger” is simply the fear of being judged by others. Fear itself is not the enemy; it is a protective mechanism designed to keep us safe. Difficulties arise when worry and internal dialogue amplify that fear\, pulling us away from the present moment and into imagined failure. \nBy talking openly about anxiety and learning to accept rather than resist it — as Maya Angelou once advised — we can begin to reduce its power. Understanding the psychological and physiological roots of performance anxiety\, ideas explored from Aristotle through to modern psychology\, allows us to approach it with greater awareness and self-compassion. \nThe workshop also offers practical and empowering strategies. Participants will explore how to focus on what can be controlled: preparing the body well\, regulating breathing\, and shifting attention away from self-judgement and towards connection — with scene partners\, the physical space\, and the audience as collaborators rather than critics. \nWe will also look at techniques for line retention\, flexible warm-ups\, and positive visualisation\, recognising that the brain often responds to imagined success in ways similar to real experience. Just as importantly\, we will explore how to develop a healthier inner dialogue — learning to recognise the anxious voice and respond to it with greater balance and perspective. \nUltimately\, the aim is not to eliminate fear altogether\, but to develop the confidence to work alongside it. Courage is not the absence of fear\, but the willingness to feel it and act anyway. \nParticipants will leave with: \n\nA clearer understanding of why performance anxiety happens and how the brain and body respond to pressure\nPractical techniques to manage nerves and regulate breathing before and during performance\nStrategies to shift attention away from self-judgement and towards connection with the work and the audience\nTools to develop a healthier inner dialogue and build greater confidence under pressure\nApproaches to visualisation\, preparation and line retention that support focus and presence\n\nThe workshop will be led by Thomasina Unsworth\, a former actor turned ICF-accredited Personal Development Coach who specialises in supporting people working in the creative industries. \nRuntime is approximately one hour. \nThis session is FREE to members of our Creative Industries Community and members can book their space using their unique password. \nTickets for non-members are priced at £10. \nWe will be recording the presentation element of the session for those people who cannot attend the live event\, but you must reserve your space to receive a copy of the recording.
URL:https://www.wellbeinginthearts.org.uk/event/managing-performance-anxiety/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Workshop
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260516T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260516T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090845
CREATED:20250826T092343Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T202708Z
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SUMMARY:Imposter Syndrome and Class — Reframing the Narrative
DESCRIPTION:Imposter Syndrome is often framed as a personal confidence issue — but what if its roots run deeper? \nThis one-hour workshop explores how working-class backgrounds can shape our sense of belonging in academic\, creative\, and professional spaces that were not always designed with us in mind. Together we will examine how structural inequality\, class-coded norms\, and unspoken expectations can intensify feelings of self-doubt or fraudulence. \nThrough discussion and shared reflection\, the session invites participants to begin reframing the narrative — not as individuals who “lack confidence”\, but as people navigating systems that can make belonging feel conditional. \nYou may recognise this if…\n\nYou sometimes feel like you have “accidentally ended up” in spaces where everyone else seems more confident or qualified\nYou worry that others will eventually realise you don’t really belong\nYou feel pressure to hide parts of your background in professional or creative environments\nYou work hard to prove yourself\, but still find yourself questioning whether you deserve to be there\nYou carry a sense of being between two worlds — not fully belonging in either\n\nThis workshop is open to anyone interested in exploring the relationship between class\, identity\, and self-perception. \nAbout the facilitator\nThe session will be led by Lindsay Dobson\, a trauma-informed therapist and trainer who specialises in supporting creatives and arts professionals to navigate imposter syndrome\, burnout\, and class-based barriers. \nRaised on a council estate and now a single parent\, Lindsay brings more than 20 years of experience working in mental health\, alongside powerful lived insight. Her work combines professional expertise with deep empathy\, helping people from working-class backgrounds feel seen\, heard\, and supported within industries that can still struggle with issues of access and inclusion. \nWhether working in therapy rooms or training environments\, Lindsay creates compassionate and grounded spaces where people can explore identity\, self-worth\, and the confidence to take up space. \nBooking information\nThis session is free for members of the Creative Industries Community\, who can reserve their place using their unique membership password. \nTickets for non-members are £10. \nThe presentation element of the session will be recorded for those who are unable to attend the live event. However\, you must reserve a place in order to receive access to the recording.
URL:https://www.wellbeinginthearts.org.uk/event/not-meant-to-be-here-imposter-syndrome-and-the-working-class-experience/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Workshop
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260601T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260601T203000
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CREATED:20260311T125527Z
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SUMMARY:The Actor’s Greatest Fear: Drying — Understanding Why It Happens and How to Recover in the Moment
DESCRIPTION:Few moments are more frightening for an actor than “drying” — the sudden experience of losing your lines or your train of thought in front of an audience. Even highly experienced performers can encounter it\, and the fear of it happening can quietly undermine confidence\, creativity and presence on stage. \nIn this workshop\, actor and psychotherapist Nick Gleaves explores what really happens when an actor dries\, and how performers can better understand and navigate these moments when they arise. \nDrawing on more than 30 years’ experience as an actor in film\, theatre and television\, Nick has a deep understanding of the unique pressures performers face\, and how the highs and lows of the profession can affect both wellbeing and creative freedom. \nAlongside his work as an actor\, Nick has trained as a Jungian Psychodynamic Psychotherapist at the Society of Analytical Psychology\, bringing together his experience of performance with a deeper exploration of the psychological processes that shape creativity\, confidence and presence. \nDuring the workshop\, Nick reflects on his own experience of drying on the first night of a play at the National Theatre\, using this moment as a starting point to explore the psychological dynamics behind drying and the ways actors can work with — rather than against — these experiences. \nThrough a combination of personal insight\, psychological understanding and practical reflection\, the workshop offers actors a deeper understanding of: \n• why drying happens• the psychological factors that can contribute to it• how the fear of drying can affect performance• how actors can maintain creative presence when these moments occur \nRather than seeing drying purely as a failure\, this workshop invites actors to explore how these moments can be understood differently — and how performers can retain their creative confidence and presence even when the unexpected happens. \n\nWho this workshop is for\nThis workshop is open to everyone but may be of particular interest to performers and speakers at all stages of their careers\, including students\, early-career performers and experienced professionals. \nYou do not need to have experienced drying yourself to attend — many actors join simply because they recognise the fear of it happening. \n\nBooking information\nThis session is free for members of the Creative Industries Community\, who can reserve their place using their unique membership password. \nTickets for non-members are £10. \nThe presentation element of the session will be recorded for those who are unable to attend the live event. However\, you must reserve a place in order to receive access to the recording.
URL:https://www.wellbeinginthearts.org.uk/event/the-actors-greatest-fear-drying/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Workshop
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