Emotion and Performing Accents and Dialects: why does Emotion Get in the Way?
Wednesday 16th July 2025, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (London Time)
At points of heightened emotion, it is common for actors working in an accent to default to their natural speech. This can even lead to pressured decisions by directors about whether or not to include accent work in their productions. As coaches, we want performers to be acting the scene and not worrying about holding on to the accent. How do we help performers to avoid this issue and provide them and their directors with the confidence they need regardless of the emotional demands of the piece? What can we learn from research in vocal expression of emotion to help actors to embody the emotion and keep control of their voice and accent? Louisa will guide participants through the latest research and offer practical suggestions for working with performers needing to navigate this challenge.
Louisa Morgan is a lecturer, voice teacher and researcher, with a special focus on Acting Through Song. Louisa lectures with Voice Study Centre (spoken voice lead) and teaches Musical Theatre students on the MA/MFA course at the Guildford School of Acting (GSA). Previously, Louisa taught technical singing at Italia Conti, and she was also a spoken and singing voice coach for the Acting students at the Cygnet Training Theatre. Louisa also taught privately for fifteen years as a voice, singing, and audition coach. Louisa has an MA in Vocal Pedagogy and is currently a PhD researcher at GSA through the University of Surrey, focusing on emotion research in Acting Through Song. She also holds a three-year diploma in Acting with Directing and a BA in English Literature. She is a Vocal Process accredited teacher, mentored by Dr Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher and has been the editor for AOTOS (the Association of Teachers of Singing) since 2023. Louisa recently presented on ‘A text-based Approach to Acting Through Song’ at PEVoC (the Pan European Voice Conference) in Santander, funded as a recipient of the VASTA (Voice and Speech Trainers Association) interdisciplinary engagement grant.
Louisa Morgan
Louisa Morgan is a lecturer, voice teacher and researcher, with a special focus on spoken and sung emotion. Louisa lectures with Voice Study Centre (spoken voice lead). Previously, Louisa taught technical singing for the MA/MFA Musical Theatre students at the Guilford School of Acting (GSA) and Italia Conti, and she was also a spoken and singing voice coach for the Acting students at the Cygnet Training Theatre.
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
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Tuesday 28th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
“Too Much, Too Little, Just Right!” - The Balancing Act Model
Robert Edwin
The Balancing Act Model encourages singers to explore the extremes of singing, and from those extremes, establish their most efficient (balanced) voice and performance techniques. Join the renowned singer/actor and author Robert Edwin as he covers many aspects of the singing process including breathing, phonation, resonation, articulation, and attitude. If you’re involved in music theater or opera, you’ll find the Model to be especially helpful in developing character voices for roles such as Nathan and Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. If you’re just looking to find out what your body and voice can do, The Balancing Act Model can provide many answers!
Thursday 30th July 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS | Person-Centred Singing Teaching
William Leigh Knight
Only around 3% of the population fall into the category of amusia while over 17% consider themselves ‘tone-deaf’; and this does not account for non-singers, a wider group sometimes described as ‘tuneless’. So, who are ‘the voiceless’? Join William Leigh-Knight as he unpicks this question and considers the purpose of training a voice, when it is considered such a natural human attribute, and he expands on the principles that drive his own practice, which may be summarised as ‘person-centeredness’
Monday 3rd August 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Tuesday 4th August 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Wednesday 5th August 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Thursday 6th August 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Friday 7th August 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
(London Time)
Level Two Certificate in Accents and Phonetics with Louisa Morgan
Louisa Morgan
Build on your foundational knowledge of accents and phonetics in this week‑long lunchtime course designed specifically for voice teachers. Whether you have completed our Level 1 Certificate or already possess a basic working knowledge of phonetics and accent work, this Level 2 course will help you deepen your skills, sharpen your analytical ear, and expand your practical toolkit for teaching.