Innovation in the performer's training practices through VET - Research on individual performer training structures and methodologies

The project objectives are to address the upskilling needs through innovation in VET (vocational education and training), bridge a gap in the current VET offer in the field of Performing Arts, and...

The project objectives are to address the upskilling needs through innovation in VET (vocational education and training), bridge a gap in the current VET offer in the field of Performing Arts, and boost the capacity and resilience of the Performing Arts sector. The partnership identified shared gaps in VET for Performing Arts across Hungary, Romania, and France, and aimed to innovate training methods collaboratively. Their goal was to address limited availability and relevance issues, crafting a novel approach to bridge these gaps on a broader scale. The partnership sought to fill a crucial gap in performer education – individual training methods post-institutional education. They aimed to empower performers to develop skills independently, addressing the barriers faced by marginalized individuals in accessing ongoing professional development. This initiative aimed to drive innovation in performer training, emphasizing self-training practices and widening access to training opportunities within the Performing Arts sector.

The project was structured around developing the output, the InPerTrain Manual. It started with a theoretical research on the ideal actor image and important skills and qualities of the performer according to the most prominent actor trainers of the last century. The developers then collected exercises from different approaches according to the theory, including: Stanislavski, Meyerhold, Copeau, Grotowski, Barba, Staniewski, Suzuki, Lecoq, Chekhov, Wangh, Overlie and Bogart-Landau. Based on consultations, discussions in the partnership and with the associated partners, a basic structure of the Performer Training Manual was set up, suggesting an individual training structure for performing artists. The training structure was then tested during three Pilot Trainings, one in each partner country. During these events the participants tried exercises and from the Manual and its training scheme and were asked to provide feedback which then were channeled back to the further development phase of the Manual. The final output, the InPerTrain Manual was then disseminated at multiplier events, organized locally in each country, which also served as an evaluation of the final output of the project and mapping development possibilities.

The main output of the project is the development of an innovative tool in performer training: a Performer Training Manual, which is an online accessible training guide for performers that they are able to use according to their individual needs, schedules and skills. It is a theoretical and practical support to provide performers with a guideline to develop their own actor training program, which can be done regularly and individually, to maintain and improve their performing skills. The Manual is the first comprehensive tool to provide a complete training structure suggested for an actor that supports their personalized ongoing training. It provides an innovative and complementary tool for VET providers in Performing Arts, supports the personal development of actors and performers and sheds light on the emerging need to develop materials and tools for ongoing performer training.