Working to Create a Brave Acting Studio Part 1
Written by Amelia Morse Kolkmeyer
Why the need for a Brave Space in Acting Studios? Well for starters because many of have our own stories of the topic culture we’ve experienced while taking classes or workshops to learn it craft. How did the urgent need to for this come about? Let’s reflect on 2020 for a second.
We can all agree that 2020 was an interesting year. For some it was a dumpster fire, while others found rewards in it. Overall I think we can agree it wasn’t easy for anyone on this planet.
The Morse Actors Studio went through many changes in 2020. This studio was founded in 2019 so it’s continuously growing and changing. The idea behind it being formed was to create a space for folx outside of academia that were interested in learning about acting or for established Actors wishing to continue to learn and train. We remain dedicated to that.
Currently The Morse Studio is run by only one person. That would be myself, Amelia the author of this blog. So with that said, I’m going to switch to the first person in this blog.
Before the forced lockdown of COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd, I was already interested in creating an acting studio that promoted a welcoming environment and brace space. However, the blind spots that I had came to light much stronger in early 2020 because of the previous mentioned things above.
I took advantage of workshops, webinars, panel discussions, reading books, anything I could afford and had time to learn everything I could. Theatre is something I have always loved. Being an Actor and an Acting Educator are two of my strongest passions. My personal experiences as a student in acting spaces is part of what also drives me to want to create a brave space. What we do as Actors is extremely intimate to us. We bring a part of ourselves to the characters we play. As stated at the beginning of this blog, at som expoing we all have had a bad experience in an Acting Studio space. We shouldn’t have to suffer in any way for our craft. That idea if outdated, extremely harmful, and completely unnecessary. So what can be done?
There are many folx out there teaching others how we teach Acting to be better. These practices are still changing and aren’t perfect, but they’re a start to be better. They are meant to help us do what we love while protecting who we are as people.
As an educator I’m dedicated to continue to train so I can give my students and clients the tools they need to maintain their personal boundaries, learn how to advocate for themselves, but also recognize when a space isn’t supporting them and be able to leave it.
I want to do what I can to set a new tone amongst private Acting Studios to teach people who to be the best actors they can be without any of the toxic negativity that has plagued our educational programs for decades.
The work will never end. It will be changing and evolving just as our art has for centuries. I, Amelia, am dedicated to be a part of doing my part to create a brave space for all of the students and clients that come to work at The Morse Actors Studio. Stay tuned as I break down further what this commitment to creating a Brave Space looks like.
To view what I’ve been up, click here to see my current Curriculum Vitae (C/V).