About

THE SEEDS OF THE WORK I DO AS AN ACTOR, SINGER AND TEACHER ARE SOWN IN THE SOIL OF GROTOWSKI INSPIRED POLISH PHYSICAL THEATRE AND ITS APPROACHES TOWARDS INTEGRITY OF PERFORMANCE, POLYPHONIC MUSIC AND THE ANCIENT POWER AND STORIES OF MUSIC ROOTED IN PEOPLE, LANDSCAPE AND ANCIENT TRADITIONS.

Emma Bonnici is an actor, singer and teacher.

ACTOR

The formative work of Emma’s acting life has been 9 years working Poland with the muti-award winning and internationally renowned, Song of the Goat Theatre and Teatr Zar. Emma has also worked with award winning Clod Ensemble on Red Ladies and with DV8 dancer Vivien Wood on Exile a piece that she co-created and which was nominated for the best “newcomer” in Newcastle . She has also done R&D with Greyscale

SINGER

Emma’s work as a singer is closely linked to her performance work as it was one of the story telling mediums of the work in Poland. She continues to work with Fabien Prioville Dance Company as a singer creator as well as collaborating with other musicians.

TEACHER

Emma has taught voice for the Bral School she teaches 1st year Ensemble on the Actors BA at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has worked with the polish folk band Sutari and teaches privately - both workshops and individual lessons for professionals on a more technical aspect and working on music and storytelling and drama as well as Voice as Life Practice for people who want to find their voice, connect with themselves or work with voice to work through life situations. Emma is currently training as a cranial-sacral therapist in order to help he students more deeply with body held tension that affects them as actors, singers and people.

Trainings and workshops

Every training day and workshop is built live in the moment for the constellation of people who are there and it responds directly to their needs, abilities and engagement. For that reason it is very difficult to give a step by step programme of the days events.

The training day is centred around the practice of training listening and response, both to oneself and to the group through singing and body work. It touches on the combination for the two and asks for a duel listening both internal and externally at the same time. It requires a sense of courage in order to hear ones own voice and to allow that to be heard by others. It requires and builds, trust, courage, support, unity and a willingness to go forward energetically.

The Programme of the Day

· Introduction to who I am and where I come from.

· Individual waking up introduction through exercises to seeing and being seen and give and take in partnerships.

A physical warm up and a light introduction to the voice through scales and exploration of resonators and the stories and characters they evoke. Some partner work, both physical and vocal.

I take people through their own voice and introduce them to its possibilities.

LUNCH

· We learn a 3 part song.