After months of feeling like my spiritual acting school idea was going nowhere I encountered a series of coincidences in December.
As I voiced my idea to industry professionals I found that there was a genuine interest in a technique that would combine acting skills with spiritual/energy work. More people on a recent filming job wanted to know of my work as a reiki healer and how that impacted on me in the acting world.
On the whole, though, I found that starting the day with the techniques of grounding and relaxing, using visualisations during the day for the character and incorporating the energy play and dynamics, made a real difference. I also found actors and crew coming to me and chatting about their experiences with reiki, healing, meditation, journeying and other spiritual practices. So on some level the work I was doing was resonating out.
As I searched for a place to live I met some fascinating characters! One was an actor about to go into rehearsals for a big musical who was fretting at the pressure of playing the lead role.
Via enquiring about his sublet and discussing his work, I told about my way of working: combining the sound work, healing, journeying with acting and character development.
When I informed him there was no blueprint - I was starting from scratch - his enthusiasm for my school idea and the concepts visibly grew, becoming somewhat contagious
I expanded on my idea and towards the end of our conversation he asked where I had read all this. He said the idea felt so fresh and at the same time ancient that there must be a book that encapsulates it.
When I informed him there was no blueprint - I was starting from scratch - his enthusiasm for my school idea and the concepts visibly grew, becoming somewhat contagious.
So now without doing a formal pitch I had discussed my idea with working actors and directors in the industry, all of whom felt it was a good idea and one to pitch to drama schools and theatres. By discussing my idea with passion and with relevant people I was able to gain confidence.
Around the same time I was asked to fill in some more cover classes at the Meisner School in Kentish Town. At the first session the School head approached me to ask me if I would like to take on a more permanent, albeit flexible, role every Sunday.
We then arranged a meeting to discuss how these classes would work. As he ran through the timetable my mind was buzzing.
He had asked me in an email if I had any ideas of classes I would like to run. I worried he would think I was crazy with my ideas of toning and meditation in an acting class.
Still, during the meeting I brought up how I like to work. He smiled and said that was exactly where he was in his life and in his work.
He had started reading books on energy and meditation and felt that whatever expertise I could bring to that field he would support.
The feedback has been positive; some students said they would only do further courses if I was involved. So I now have the task of putting together a class plan for separate courses.
One of which will culminate in a showcase at the Soho Theatre I shall be directing next year. Sometimes the best way we can move forward on something is through our personal lives and the synchronicities they offer.
Every meeting, every moment, is a potential for a pitch. You never know who may like what you have to offer and be able to guide you.
Keep something back. Don’t give the whole idea away, just enough to whet the appetite and show you are the one with the full expertise here.
