Sunday May 21st – 11:15 – 1:00pm – Near Studio
Increasing Resilience for Yourself & the Actors you Teach/Coach
The personal connection actors have to scripted material can often be linked to their own trauma.
This can make it challenging to access parts of themselves that are required for a robust character
portrayal. It can also make it challenging for the coach/instructor. If not managed well, a well-
intentioned tactic can cause the actors’ defences to go up effectively shutting down the instructor.
Alternatively, the actor may become overwhelmed and neither instructor nor actor have a healthy
coping strategy to offer. This experiential/interactive workshop invites you to experience for yourself trauma-informed strategies that can support your resilience and wellbeing in your role as coach/educator with a view to how it translates to working with actors while keeping the focus on character development & performance.
Alan Powell – Actor Care Specialist – www.actor-care.com
Alan has been supporting actors’ resilience and vulnerability in performance since 2021 when he
piloted A.C.E.S. (Actualizing Characters by Expanding Self-awareness), a trauma-informed, research-
based model for actors developing complex characters. It supports authentic expression by prioritizing resilience and increasing capacity for embodying distressing emotions while in character. His practical research paper Cornerstones of ACES led to speaking engagements internationally. Prior to training as a psychotherapist, Alan directed hundreds of actors over 15+ years in educational trauma-based drama vignettes under contract with Western University/Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children. He is currently researching Actor Care strategies for foundation year students at Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance in England. Actor Care credits include the feature film Sybil (Catalyst Studios, Serbia/USA), Recollections (Adders Entertainment, UK). Theatre credits: A Vampire Story (Greenwich Theatre, UK), Within These Four Walls (Judi Dench Playhouse, UK). Upcoming; WalledIN (Equity Showcase, Canada).