next Authentic Artist workshop

I'm posting information about the next Authentic Artist workshop in Stirling (22 -24th October) here for Stirling on Stage folk. The workshop will be in the Rowing Club, from 9.30-5.00. Please get in touch with me if you want to talk about my own experience of Kath's workshops, or with Kath directly (website below).



The Authentic Artist
A Three Day Workshop facilitated by Kath Burlinson

The Authentic Artist is a three-day workshop for creative artists seeking reinvention,
exploration, new challenges, or for those developing new work.

It is so easy for an artist to feel under-stimulated or out of touch with the deepest
creative energies. It is easy to feel a lack of confidence or lack of motivation, even if
you dream of creating new, original, exciting work.

There are plenty of classes you can take…brush up your Beckett, do a dance class,
join a choir, but where can you get devoted, individual attention, with exercises
designed especially for you, to help you find what you want?

The Authentic Artist workshop offers a space to explore, to play, to find your next
‘edge’. A space to connect with other artists in a non-competitive environment, where
you can rediscover your own deepest artistry, share your ideas with a small supportive
group, try and fail and try again with no pressure to ‘succeed’.

The Story so Far
Authentic Artist workshops have been running since 2007 and have attracted actors,
artistic directors of established theatre and dance companies, classical musicians,
musical theatre performers, composers, choreographers, painters,
writers, performance poets and emerging artists. Many have been profoundly affected
by the power of the work...some have even got jobs as a result! Please see
testimonies below….

What happens in an Authentic Artist workshop?
Preparation: The workshop is limited to a maximum of eight participants, each of
whom is sent a brief questionnaire beforehand, to establish what it is they are looking
for at this point in time. Kath may then seek further clarification with a meeting or
phone conversation, so that both artist and facilitator are clear that this is the right
thing for them at this time, and the artistic intention is named and defined (even if this
changes later!).

In the workshop: The precise content of each workshop varies depending upon the
participants and their interests. However, in all cases Kath will have
prepared individual exercises for each person, using techniques drawn from years of
practice with a range of extraordinary teachers. Kath will guide with care and
sensitivity, helping you to realise and find form for your artistry. Some of the work
may be based on sound and movement improvisations, some on text or song, but
participants are welcome to bring writings, poems, music, paintings or any original
material to work on. Everyone’s experience is unique.

What do you need to commit to?
• Commit to opening new avenues of expression and discovery
• Commit to supporting yourself and others with compassion and honesty
• Commit to attend for all three days

Cost: £185 (£145 unwaged and previous participants)


Kath Burlinson is a performer, director, and writer. She co-created the Weird Sisters theatre
company, winners of five international theatre awards and a Best Ensemble nomination at
Edinburgh Fringe. Her recent solo show, The Mother's Bones, won the Manchester Evening
News Best Fringe Performance award and has since been seen at festivals in both
the UK and US. Most recently she has created the Authentic Artist Collective, whose first
production, WOLF, plays Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2010 as part of the Escalator East to
Edinburgh Showcase.

Kath is developing The Authentic Artist under the guidance of international artists Paul Oertel
and Nancy Spanier, www.performanceinventions.org and has worked with Jonathan Kay,
Scott Kelman, Guy Dartnell, Glen Walford, Gerry Flanagan and a range of other extraordinary
teachers in the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA.

Kath's own search as an artist has involved diving deeply into the personal, collective, mythic
and unknown. She strives to be authentically present as a performer and workshop leader, to
trust her intuition and be open to new discoveries, moment by moment.

In 'The Authentic Artist' Kath shares what she has learned with others, and passes on
techniques she has been privileged to experience. www.authenticartist.co.uk

"Kath has a precision of perception that allows her to see the essence of individuals' gifts. Her
inordinate open-heartedness and empathy for human complexity and feeling makes her particularly
available to students and audiences as a facilitator and performing artist." Paul Oertel


TESTIMONIALS from previous participants:
“It was the safe laboratory I have been craving in every rehearsal room I have ever set foot in…No
bullshit, no ego and nowhere to hide. But completely safe. And without the pressure to be any good or
have anything to prove at the end.” Ellis Kerkhoven (actor, writer and director)

"My strongest memory is finding my own truth in performance and seeing other people connect with
their own truths. It reminded me who I was when I first came to practice my craft and what I had lost
sight of through repetition and technique." Sioned Jones (National Theatre actor)

"A subtle and sophisticated approach...As a mature artist I wanted a workshop where I could determine
the direction of my exploration in a supportive environment with insightful guidance, and this workshop
delivered 100%." Claire Russ (choreographer, founder of the Claire Russ Ensemble)

"Since the workshop I have experienced a real shift in my performances both as a musician in the
concerts I have done, and in my teaching. My imagination has been accessed and something has
released in me…The support and acceptance was what I am lacking and it was here in
abundance." Neyire Ashworth (clarinettist and performer)

“I feel a palpable shift in my authenticity…This is a benefit to my person as well as my Artist…
Kath’s style is friendly, human and down to earth while she embraces the roles of guardian, mentor,
tutor, director, facilitator, provocateur and more. The pre and post work prepares you for maximum
engagement and therefore maximum result. Kath has attended beautifully to the design of the
course.” Peta Lily (performer and director)

"It is a great honour to have exercises developed for you as an individual artist with feedback and
'witnessing' from your peers. Beautiful." Rachel Amey (performance poet)

"The workshop inspired me to become unblocked, and gave me the strength to explore another creative
path while encouraging me to listen to the artist within" Jamie Zubairi (actor and painter)

"I think for the first time in many years, or perhaps ever, I could stand on a stage with a sense of ease
and excitement mixed together which allowed my imagination to explore without control or blocking or
correction…The work we experienced in this workshop can be life-changing for an artist." Tina Ellen
Lee (Artistic Director, Opera Circus).