Does the idea of performing in front of others thrill or slightly terrify you?

Or, do you want to take your performing to a whole new level?

What would you express if you knew you could not fail?

Performance is a part of life. More and more life calls on us to perform. Career paths can be blocked if we fail to come up to the mark and life too has a way of singling out and rewarding those who perform well.

Performance too can bring liberation, excitement, a sense of achievement, of being utterly alive and in touch with all our senses. It mirrors too many of the experiences we seek when we yearn for freedom.

Perhaps you've been promising yourself that experience for some time.
To get out of yourself! To feel fully alive!

Perhaps you've always longed to go to drama school or be in the movies, or play in a band, or speak in public or live life in a more creative way.

And you know that performing would unlock something powerful in you, a part of yourself that you never express, a part of you that could potentially unlock many other doors too...

Or perhaps you've been traumatised by some of your peforming experiences.

Perhaps you are already a performer but you know you hold back, you've never really been able to get over that self consciousness and ability to relate to the audience in a natural way and so you've never had that experience of truly surrendering yourself to the performance.

Or you feel inhibited and restricted by the demand to perform well and so lost some of the fire and magic you felt when you first started performing.

Or you want to delve more into yourself, discover more about what makes you tick, and what is holding you back in your performing work and maybe life too.

My name is Claire Schrader and I have developed a powerful approach working through performance that enables people with little or no experience to turn out spellbinding, complex and fascinating pieces of theater that outshine most professional productions. This is achieved through the powerful instinctive connections between group members that would take a director months to achieve, and because of the supportive, non-competitive group atmosphere. This is performance that is beyond normal acting. It will enable you to express what is beyond yourself, beyond your thoughts, your mind. It provides too a safe haven through which you can engage with yourself and others in a unique and unpredictable way that can be emotionally satisfying and release surprising energies. As you will see from my own story, performance set me free from shyness and introversion to fully living my potential.

 

A rare opportunity to join this unique, liberating two month program from U.K. cumulating in a performance before an invited audience.

A safe haven to challenge yourself, make breakthroughs in self expression, charisma and personal power.

Express your fire and magic!

This two month program will be exploring through theater, movement, music and expression a rare version of the Russian fairytale “The Firebird”, cumulating in a performance before an invited audience of friends. The Firebird is a magnificent fiery bird coveted by a tyrannical king who traps and puts it in a cage. The story is a metaphor to express the inner firebird and spirit of creativity in all of us that may have been trapped or suppressed. “Freeing the Firebird” enables us to free ourselves, lifting us to new levels of magnificence and enabling us to express our passion and joy in being alive.

There will be no lines to learn, no set moves, but an invitation to go with the flow of your heart and spirit and follow the impulses of the authentic performer within. An opportunity too to be seen, witnessed and validated by an empathic community, and at the same time free yourself of the internal limitations and emotional baggage that is holding you back.

It will offer tools and opportunities to:

• live life more in creative flow
• make breakthroughs in areas of self expression, charisma and personal power
• take a leap forward in your personal/professional life
• discover your untapped, creative potential
• break out of your "box", overcome inhibitions, shyness or the limiting aspects of being an introvert
• connect with others in a meaningful and inspiring way
• benefit emotional and physical health
• transform  blocked energy

For all levels of experience from complete beginners to those with performing experience/background.

From a Participant When the performance was over I was on a huge high. At last after many years of searching I had played a main part. Although we all had. But for me it was a huge achievement. 'Medea' in particular was an amazing part to play. I felt like a free spirit and in that role I had no doubts, no concerns and found a huge amount of self confidence which pushed me to fly and fly. Subsequently since the performance I have found a new inner, self confidence. I now trust my instincts and able to make decisions in all areas of my life that come from a very deep place within. I have at last come into my power and I now feel totally a woman. I know if I put my mind to it I can achieve anything I want to. Lela M., healer, London. See Joy of Peformance

........

Photographs from a performance in London

How it works

The program meets weekly at the Center for Healing and Expression, cumulating in a weekend workshop at the end of which, the performance will be presented to an invited audience of friends.

The program is divided into 3 phases: Exploration, Rehearsal & Performance.

Each phase will enable you to move seamlessly to the next phase so that you are sufficiently prepared for the final performance, and in a good place to make breakthroughs.

We will be drawing on tools,techniques and structures from drama therapy, theater and personal development approaches that are a powerful combination, enabling you to open up to your creative flow, let go of inhibitions and inner restriction, get out of your head and operate from the authentic performer within.

A supportive group atmosphere quickly emerges through group co-creativity, sharing and reflection, enabling you to connect with others in a powerful way, receive feedback, learn and expand.

You will have the opportunitiy to invite friends and loved-ones to the performance on Sunday afternoon, and to choose whether you want to invite anyone at all. For some people performing in front of friends in more challenging than in front of strangers. Most particpants

There will be post performance support in the form of two follow up sessions so that you can reflect on the impact on the performance on your life

What you won't get in this course

Unlike many theater productions which are the vision of the director, and in which the director is driving the process, this process is driven by you and the other group members. There will be empathic guidance from Claire who's craft and skill as a playwright will ensure that the final result is powerful, moving and entertaining. In fact audience members from past performances have been stunned by what they saw, sitting on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

There will be no director ordering you about and telling you what to do, or giving you the third degree burn to get out the best in you. For many professional performers this is incredibly liberating.

You won't get stuck with a bit part. You'll have the opportunity to choose the parts you want to play, male of female, small or large.

You won't get ego's running the shows. Past participants have commented on the non competitive, non judgmental and supportive atmosphere in the group.

You won't get to hide behind a role or go into automatic but encouraged to step beyond your mask and allow your performance to come from the deeper place.

What's included

• 8 evening sessions at the Center for Healing and Expression
• Weekend workshop at the Center for Healing and Expression
• Support, empathy and encouragement to bring out the very best in you.
• Follow up conference call 2 days after the event
• Follow up session to reflect on achievements followed by optional dinner in a local restaurant to celebrate
• Bonus Guide: Vocal Exercises and Preparation for Performances and Presentations
• Bonus CD: A photographic record of the performance

Program Details

8 evening sessions in San Francisco starting Tuesday May 13th 8-10pm
Other dates: May 20th & 27th; June 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th; July 1st

Weekend Workshop (4th July 7.30-9.30pm, 5th/6th July 10am-5pm )

Follow up conference call session 8th July 7.30-9.30pm

Follow Up Evening - date t.b.c.

All group sessions will take place at the The Center For Healing and Expression

1749 O' Farrell Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
O'Farrell/Fillmore

www.thecenter-sf.org

Cost: $600 which may be paid in 3 installments

To Book

Send an email or call 415-508-4053 expressing your interest and reasons for wanting to join the programe. Email is the easiest before 23rd April as Claire will be in the UK.

You are recommended to attend the introductory evening - The Power of Performance on Tuesday 6th May - so you get a flavour of the program and what to expect and an opportunity to meet Claire. Claire prefers to meet everyone before they join the program, or failing that speak to them on the phone.

You will be asked to send a non-refundable deposit to reserve your place on the program.

We also recommend that you subscribe to the newsletter so we can keep you informed of events and updates.

Open Evening The Power of Performance 6th May 8.00-10.00pm $35 This is an open, experiential evening both for newcomers and people who have participated in any previous workshops or sessions. It will be an evening of play, laughter and creativity exploring the power of performance and highly recommended for those who are planning to join the Performance, the Pathway to Freedom Program. Venue: The Center for Healing and Expression 1749 O' Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA 94115 O'Farrell/Fillmore www.thecenter-sf.org To book send an email or call 415-508-4053

Not yet ready to book, do take a look at the personal stories of people who have participated, in particular Lela's story and Maria's story - Being Prepared to ShineOr take a look at the published articles about this approach.

Claire Schrader (UK) B.A., M.A., S.R.A.T (Drama) Founded Making Moves in 1996 in London www.makingmoves.net offering drama therapy for personal and professional development, working through mythology, archetypes, ritual and transformational theatre and is currently training practitioners in the UK in her approach. She holds a distinction from the Institute of Dramatherapy at Roehampton (U.K.), won awards for her first play Corryvreckan, and  has published articles in Kindred Spirit, Positive Health, and Counselling News (1997-2006) She has contributed to Emotions: experiences in existential psychotherapy and life by Freddie Strasser (Duckworth) and is currently writing her own book Ritual Theatre – the theatre of transformation. She has pioneered numerous performance projects over the years, including an innovative therapeutic theatre project funded by Arts for Everyone Lottery Scheme working with disadvantaged young people and for six years was Co-ordinator of the performance programme at The Studio Upstairs (London).  Her wide ranging career also includes periods working as a business development manager for an American barter company, an international performance artist and a trainer of actors.

Thank you for your interest.