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TAFE SA Acting Graduate Selected For Workshop In New York

TAFE SA Adelaide College of the Arts acting graduate Laura Brenko is one of 30 international applicants to be selected into a month long workshop with the world renowned SITI Company of New York.

Graduating from the Adelaide College of the Arts (AC Arts) in 2009 with an Advanced Diploma of Arts (Acting), Laura received a grant from the Helpmann Academy to fund her attendance at the workshop in New York.

Laura commented that heading to the workshop in New York will be exciting but also scary.

“I know the workshop will be demanding ‐ both physically and mentally, but I know I’m going to return to Adelaide a richer performer having worked with a company whose work I admire and respect,” she said.

The SITI Company fuses Suzuki and Viewpoint methods of physical actor training, techniques that Laura was first introduced to at AC Arts and that work well for her as a performer. Since graduating Laura has further developed her skills, through devising and participating in shows that incorporate these techniques.

On her time at AC Arts, Laura said she loved the practicality of the course.

“The lecturers at AC Arts push you to learn on your feet and doing so definitely gave me the confidence to trust my acting instincts.”

Laura’s love of performing was sparked at 11 years old when she played Igor, the Hunchback of Notre Dame in a Year 6/7 production of the musical Bats!

“It was then I realised how fun it was to stand in the middle of a stage and have people watch you pretend to be someone else,” she remarked.

However, it wasn’t until years later after completing a university degree in drama that Laura realised acting was the path for her and enrolled at AC Arts.

“I went and saw the State Theatre Company of South Australia’s production of Bryony Lavery’s Frozen. This production knocked the air out of me. It made me feel something so deep inside that I struggled to articulate…it made me realise I wanted to be able to do that to others.”

TAFE SA Adelaide College of the Arts Creative Director Christie Anthoney congratulated Laura.

“The experience she (Laura) will have in New York will be awesome ‐ life changing no doubt,” he said.

“It’s not just Laura who will benefit; her learning will rub off on her colleagues and friends and we hope that she will come back to the Adelaide College of the Arts and share her knowledge with current acting students in due course.”

To find out more about the acting courses at AC Arts head to www.tafesa.edu.au/acarts or call 8463 5000.

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