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workshops
Led by Archa’s highly experienced creative team, our workshops are a practical and engaging exploration of our innovative processes and techniques when training and creating documentary theatre works.
Our workshops can be delivered at our studio space Stodolio or your venue (also available internationally).
As well as our workshop packages, we offer single or bespoke combinations, and longer workshops available on request. The length of the workshop will last as long as necessary from your choice of workshop combinations depending on your requirements.
Whether you are looking to enhance your professional development, or your learning/education experience, or as a facilitator/teacher introduce your students to documentary theatre and the skills we use to craft performance, our workshops are customised to meet your specific needs, with our workshop leaders working with you to ensure you / your students gain the most from the experience. Or to view our latest workshop series for kids, click here!
Archa is equipped and committed to making our workshops accessible and inclusive for disabled participants. Please make us aware of any accessibility requirements when enquiring so that we can incorporate any actions you require of us into our workshop delivery.
upcoming workshops
Viewpoints Technique and Textual Sources for Documentary Theatre
Workshop on the Viewpoints technique focused on sources of authentic text and its use in documentary theatre. The workshop is open to professional performing artists as well as the general public.
Instructors: Jana Svobodová and Zov Vélez.
workshops we offer
skills series
Our Skills Series offers a comprehensive exploration of five core techniques essential to the Archa Centre's creation of documentary theatre. Each workshop in this series can be booked individually, or you can select from our combination packages to create a custom learning experience that meets your needs.
These techniques can be applied to any form of stage performance, helping you to craft more powerful and engaging theatrical works.
You can see our existing packages here
Textual Sources and the Viewpoints Technique in Documentary Theatre, with Jana Svobodová. This atelier will focus on spatial improvisation and interviews. Based on Viewpoint technique, the training will invite students to discover and explore the ability of “extreme listening”. Step by step will participants explore the relationship between each of them, as performers and space, space and light, and space and authentic stories. The aim of this atelier is to open the space for discovering original ways of creation to each participant as an in- dividual and as a group. Atelier is finished by short studies involving space, text, and movement.
Light as a space for Action, with Pavel Kotlík. This atelier compliments the atelier “Textual sources and the Viewpoints technique in documentary theatre”. Pavel Kotlík introduces the principles of light design in the context of documentary theatre. Each student will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the technical principles of light design in relation to the given space. Based on this will create their own lighting plan.
Sound Design for Stage, with Ladislav Štěrba & Jan Sedláč. The atelier is designed for both beginners and advanced learners who want to find a way to express their artistic statement on stage with the help of sound design. In this atelier we will cover various technical tools for recording and creating sound, innovative applications, and techniques. At the end of the atelier all students will be able to set up a mixing desk with microphones and PA system, record any sound to computer and manipulate the recorded or live sound for theatrical use. Some level of music and physics knowledge can be helpful, but it is not required.
Video Art and Moving Images for Stage, with Martin Krupa. This atelier will focus on experimental methods of using video art in live performance. We will proceed from recording to processing and presentation of the video on stage. We will study multiscreen projection, the materiality of analog film, and dia projection combined with digital one, and try to find new ways to use these methods while working with space and movement. The atelier will start with “found footage material” to discover how to work with analog media. We will enjoy our visual playground by working with vintage projection methods, besides more advanced video art techniques. Then, we will experiment with the interactivity between light and video. This atelier aims to broaden students’ multimedia knowledge focusing on what they consider useful for their creative work.
Voice in Motion, with Petra Oswaldová. The primary focus of this atelier is to explore the quality of one’s own voice by combining movement and authentic expression through non-verbal sounds. The objective is to enhance overall body sensitivity. In a collective session integrating elements of the Feldenkrais method alongside breath and voice, we aim to recreate the learning experiences from childhood. These experiences were marked by an intuitive understanding developed through our own bodies. Subsequently, we will engage in both group and individual experimentation with the voice in motion, within the studio environment and amidst nature. Throughout the course of our lives, we establish the boundaries between our bodies and the surrounding envi- ronment. This natural process is fundamental for functional movements, vocal expression, and speech. In our atelier, we endeavour to revisit this foundational beginning, offering a unique exploration of the nexus between body and voice.
Our Creation workshop is an immersive 7-day experience designed to bring all the skills from our series together into a cohesive, hands-on process. This workshop is perfect for those looking to deepen their understanding of how to craft a powerful stage performance using the techniques essential to documentary theatre.
Over the course of a week, participants will engage in an intensive exploration of the Viewpoints Method, interview techniques, moving image and visual storytelling, lighting as a space for action and sound design. Guided by our expert facilitators, you'll learn how to integrate these elements into a unified method for creating compelling and authentic performances.
By the end of the workshop, you'll not only have honed each skill but also experienced our signature approach to documentary theatre, culminating in the creation of a short unique performance piece.
Whether you're a seasoned theatre professional or a passionate learner, the Creation workshop offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore the art of documentary theatre.
Using Archa Centre's method of documentary theatre creation, this workshop will equip participants with a playful, exploratory, and investigative approach to composing the elements of a performance collaboratively.
creation
packages
Explore our tailored workshop packages designed to provide an intensive and focused learning experience over four dynamic days. Each package combines the essential elements of the and textual sources, allowing participants to dive deep into the powerful approach that encourages spontaneity, collaboration, and awareness in performance, with innovative applications such as Lighting as a Space for Action, or the integration of Video art.
Both packages offer a unique opportunity to develop your skills in documentary theatre while collaborating with experienced facilitators and fellow participants. Whether you’re looking to refine your approach or experiment with new techniques, our workshop packages are designed to inspire creativity and enhance your theatrical practice.
Viewpoints Method & Light as a Space for Action
In this package, participants will learn how to integrate the principles of the Viewpoints Method with lighting techniques to create dynamic stage action. You’ll explore how to use light not just as a design element, but as an active component of storytelling, shaping mood and emphasizing movement in a collaborative environment.
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Variant One
Variant Two
Viewpoints Method & Video Art
This package focuses on the intersection of the Viewpoints Method and multimedia. Participants will discover how to weave video art and moving images into their performances, enhancing narratives and creating a visually engaging experience. You'll learn to think creatively about how to incorporate these elements into live action, fostering an innovative approach to stage storytelling.
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Explore our tailored workshop packages designed to provide an intensive and focused learning experience over four dynamic days. Each package combines the essential elements of the and textual sources, allowing participants to dive deep into the powerful approach that encourages spontaneity, collaboration, and awareness in performance, with innovative applications such as Lighting as a Space for Action, or the integration of Video art.
Both packages offer a unique opportunity to develop your skills in documentary theatre while collaborating with experienced facilitators and fellow participants. Whether you’re looking to refine your approach or experiment with new techniques, our workshop packages are designed to inspire creativity and enhance your theatrical practice.
workshops for kids
At Archa-Centre, we welcome all children eager to explore the world of drama and theatre! Our Kids Workshops are designed for young creatives from the Dvakacovice region, neighboring communities, and beyond. Whether you're nearby or willing to join us in our studio, all children are invited to participate in our fun and engaging sessions.
We offer exciting activities like puppetry, shadow exploration, and hands-on learning with theatre equipment, including lighting and lighting boards. And if you can't make it to us, we're happy to come to you! If you have a venue in your town, we can travel to hold a workshop, bringing the magic of theatre right to your doorstep. Join us!
Enquire.
Please send us any queries regarding our workshops.