An Introduction to Knight-Thompson Speechwork
Friday 23rd January 2026, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM (London Time)
This two-hour workshop is an introduction to Knight-Thompson Speechwork (KTS), which is a leading voice, speech, and accent training methodology in theatre conservatories worldwide.
In addition to a discussion on teaching practices, the workshop will include several short, playful KTS games and exercises. Participants will gain a greater physical awareness of the human vocal tract and gain basic speech tools that (with continued practice and development) can eventually lead to mastering any speech skill and acquiring any accent needed for performance.
Rockford Sansom, PhD, MFA, is a voice trainer and theatre professor. As a voice coach, he has worked with actors Off-Broadway and in regional theatres, Fortune 100 CEOs, United Nations officials, active members of the U.S. Congress, and speakers in TED Talks. As an actor, he has performed Off-Broadway, regionally, and in international and national tours. He was the Editor of the Voice and Speech Review, and he has published five books on voice. With Christina Shewell, he is the co-author of Voice Work (2nd ed.), a textbook about voice training used worldwide. Rocky was a member of the first teaching certification program for Knight-Thompson Speechwork. He is a VASTA Lifetime Distinguished Member.
🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available
Dr Rockford Sansom
Rockford Sansom, PhD, MFA, is a voice trainer and theatre professor. As a voice coach, he has worked with actors Off-Broadway and in regional theatres, Fortune 100 CEOs...
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Tuesday 5th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 12th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 19th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 26th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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Voice pedagogy has advanced significantly in the last decades in relation to knowledge of the vocal apparatus (anatomy and mechanics), acoustics, and performance psychology (to name just a few subfields) – this is a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, musicianship and the foundations of music theory are still relevant to the teaching and coaching of singers and this course aims to empower voice teachers and coaches with skills to support the fundamental musicianship development of their students.
Thursday 14th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday 15th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
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Two part course! Vocal health principles are inextricably and symbiotically linked with singing and acting voice pedagogy: Good vocal health allows the singer and actor to more easily and effectively achieve their technical and artistic goals, and good teaching reinforces vocal technique that diminishes the risk of vocal injury. We now also recognize the necessity for singers and actors to understand how their instruments work, how to take care of their voices, and what to do when something goes wrong. Singing and acting teachers are indeed on the front lines of vocal health!
Tuesday 19th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Staging A Coup: History meets science for the coup de la glotte!
Kourtney Austin
Historical vocal pedagogy, voice science, voice health, and performance practice come together in this presentation from Kourtney Austin! The session addresses the historical context for teaching the onset as a fundamental skill, along with a review of a recent publication examining the acoustic effects of different types of onset, and practical studio implementation of onset training. The aforementioned publication is the first known research to objectively measure the acoustic implications of the coup de la glotte, and delineate it from the hard glottal attack.