NADINE SURES is a transdisciplinary artist currently living in Halifax, Canada, who has worked professionally and internationally as a performer, director, producer and teacher. Recipient of the Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award, a Canada Council award for outstanding artistic achievement by Canadian mid-career artists, Nadine established herself by showcasing her IN SITU performances and installations across Canada, Europe and the Middle-East. Nadine has taught improvisation, theatre, dance and music to children and adults internationally in festivals, private and public schools, arts organizations, coaching online and in person for over 30 years. Nadine is currently pursuing her MFA at NSCAD where she works as a Teacher Assistant and continues her research in embodied and transdisciplinary art practices and pedagogy. Her research, for which she was awarded a Canada Graduate Scholarship, explores the intersection of improvisation and cross-disciplinary artistic practices, with a particular focus on how the principles of Action Theater can be applied across various mediums.
Shapeshifters: Children and Embodied Improvisation
This workshop is geared towards all teachers of children, whether it be in the subjects of theatre, music, art, or dance; within schools, community arts organizations, kindergartens or even at home. With a focus on embodied practices, participants will learn various pedagogical methods of improvisation using movement, vocalization and speech in order to cultivate social interactions in real world contexts and help children reconnect to their moving, speaking selves in a holistic way. Participants will be able to experience these methods demonstrated in collaboration with groups of children between the ages of 7 and 16 who will be present as co-participants; the goal being to witness first hand how exercises need to be adjusted and taught depending on the developmental needs of each individual child and year group.
Participants will learn how to hold space for children to express the core of who they are and explore the depths of their human emotions, experiences and spirit in a contained and safe environment. We will investigate techniques of sourcing creative material, text, ideas, and movements from within, and of encouraging each child's unique expressive palette in a transdisciplinary and inquiry based approach to learning and art-making. Through improvisation, children have an opportunity to analyze and break through emotional, physical, vocal and intellectual patterns; encouraging a well rounded, intelligent, sensitive, and confident inner landscape.