I am a trained actor and Applied Theatre Practitioner, specialising in adapting techniques from acting for non-actors.
My vision is to create drama workshops for people who are quiet, shy, introverted or socially anxious. In the mindful drama environment these qualities are valued and we explore what we create when we accept who we are and what we bring. This idea has grown out of my own experience of being a ‘quiet’ person who finds my anxiety in social situations and in group activities prevents me fully taking part, and often stops me even turning up. It is also inspired by my experience of the positive impact on wellbeing of being involved in a creative group activity, and a desire to make these more accessible.
Over the last 10 years I have developed and delivered various drama projects including: Act Yourself Confident community drama workshops for adults; and Confidence Drama in association with Status Employment (https://www.statusemployment.org.uk/current-and-past-projects/). Participants in both projects reported finding the cross-over skills useful in many areas of life including communication, making choices, coping with stressful situations at work or in our personal lives, and simply benefitting from belonging to a creative group. The work with Status Employment was with many people who identified as anxious or socially phobic. We constantly reflected on and redesigned the approach according to experience of the sessions and feedback from participants. During lockdown these workshops went online as Improvisation for Confidence and Connection. This group started at the beginning of Lockdown and continues by request of the participants. In 2021 we made a short film of our lockdown improvisation adventures. https://youtu.be/L6ph9M63n9M We continued meeting online and, with a few in person sessions, co-created another film: https://youtu.be/2n0BbMq_jzY
“Catherine has gathered, learned and devised principles for the groups which allow people to feel safe, to trust their own judgement, to make connections with others and with themselves.”
"I loved how everyone felt at ease enough to join in without there being any pressure to do so".
Training: Permission Improbable, Improbable Theatre Company. Cardboard Citizens (Rainbow of Desires). Theatreworks for Teachers, National Theatre.
