Speaking Well In Public

I attended a good drop in Action Learning set and one to one meeting with a business coach at the open air Pavilion Gardens Cafe in Brighton yesterday. Coaches and self-employed freelancers in discussion and sharing ideas and skills over tea and scones. Highly recommended. I also saw the concept of “paying it forward”  in action when one friend offered a favour to another, who then offered help to a third. There may not be so much money around, but there’s more than money out there.

I’ve just added a new subject to the portfolio:

Introduction to Investigative Interviewing

For employers, the ability to conduct an effective investigative interview can be a useful skill for your employees, with many professional and business applications including anti-fraud action, disciplinary procedures, investigating complaints and allegations and fact-finding exercises.

For job-seekers, transferrable investigative interviewing skills can be an attractive selling point to feature on the CV and a confident beginning to new career directions.

Introduction to Investigative Interviewing is a one-day foundation course for Beginners and Improvers who need a clear grounding in investigative interview technique.

Mr Men celebrate four decades of reading fun

7th August 2011

The Mr Men franchise is 40 years old this week – and still sells a copy every 27 seconds.

The creator, Roger Hargreaves, died in 1988 yet he remains the third most successful author of the last decade behind JK Rowling and Dan Brown.

Hargreaves’ son Adam says that he thinks their success is down to the simplicity of the characters and the tales. “They are wonderful and simple and that’s what my dad was striving for. Even the shape and the size of the books were designed so that a child could hold them. My dad took essentially parts of beings and created the characters – that’s why everyone recognises parts of themselves in them.”

Rick McShane from Waterstone’s bookshop says “Kids’ literacy and getting kids to read has become incredibly important over the last few years. What you’ve got with Roger is someone that starts children reading from a young age. You have their parents reading to them and then the children use the books themselves in their first steps of reading alone.”                                        Sky News

Specsavers commits to literacy

4th August, 2011

Specsavers  have joined the drive to promote literacy in the UK  and the intrinsic link between reading and eyecare, with a new initiative to give away thousands of books this summer.

Until Saturday 3 September every customer who has an eye examination can claim a free book.                                                           

Reading to children is so important to help develop a  love of reading, literacy and words, yet so many parents shy away from even trying. Speaking Well In Public teaches techniques for reading to children that will be enjoyed by all generations.

Why read aloud to children?                                                  

Books for reading to children

Reading aloud to children – the course

Drama schools seldom teach commercials casting techniques, so if an actor wants to work in commercials, it’s vital to learn what’s wanted  – and what isn’t.

A casting director may see 150 people in a day for a commercial, yet only a few will be pencilled in for possible casting – and it’s often the same people over and over again, because they are the ones who’ve learned.

I’ve just attended a workshop on improvisation for commercials castings with casting director Mark Summers and actor and acting coach Jay Simon.  Packed with practical demonstrations, exercises, advice and information useful for any actor looking to break into advertising.

I’m directing a short film, “Dusa” by Judy Upton [ www.judyupton.co.uk ]
spending some of this week in rehearsal and giving dialogue coaching for the actors, including an actress from Turkey.

I’ve also been working with a great bunch of actors on a corporate roleplay in Brighton

I presented a workshop on Actors’ Tips for Trainers for the CIPD Sussex Trainers’ Forum [ reviews ].

We looked at the subject of stage fright; why speakers and performers get nervous, what happens and what we can do about it; how to support the voice with breathing and speaking exercises and how to give an interesting and memorable reading.

Just a taste of the many areas where actors’ techniques can be used to great effect by trainers and public speakers.

“… a great presentation … really useful and entertaining!”
Cathy Robinson, Assoc CIPD, Wellbeing and Nutrition Trainer

I’ll be playing Helena in an open air Shakespeare event “A Midsummer Night’s Madness” at Ardingly Court Gardens, Brighton, at 2.30 pm 17th July. Box Office 07919 674000

“Philippa Hammond, outstanding as a Helena who glints words”
Dr Simon Jenner