The International Network for Voice at Central invites you to join voice and theatre colleagues from across the UK to discuss inclusive practice in voice and speech training and coaching.

‘Diversity is about audit, inclusion is about action’ – Dr Sylvan Baker, TEDx Talk, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, 2017.

When issues of discrimination arise within actor training, the approaches taken by voice and speech teachers are often found to be part of the problem. The INV Inclusive Practice Forum aims to help voice teachers and coaches to become part of the solution. The quotes below are taken from the labour party’s recent Acting Up report into access and diversity in the performing arts. They may make for disturbing reading…

‘It wasn’t until I went to drama school that I actually looked in the mirror and realised I was of colour, I nearly left at the end of my first year because I felt so uncomfortable, so working class. I remember being told by the teacher who I was studying received pronunciation with that my accent was lazy, that South Londoners had lazy mouths and lazy accents.’ Cush Jumbo

‘We heard one instance of a voice coach at a drama school telling a black student to “find your big black momma voice”’

“The drama schools get the diverse students into the building but then they have no idea what to do with them or how to support them.” Steven Kavuma – Diversity School

If as a teacher or coach, you are interested in finding creative strategies to enable all of your students to succeed, irrespective of class, ethnicity, age, physical ability/disability, level of mental wellbeing, gender identity, sexuality, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, faith or religion, please join us on Sat 7th April at 1pm for our first ‘Long Table’ discussion.