developing artists
our workshops
Our workshops introduce artists to a range of performance-making techniques across multidisciplinary practices. Facilitated by our core team, company associates, and guest practitioners, these sessions are designed for artists of all disciplines and can be adapted to various educational levels.
We have delivered our workshops at various venues and institutions, including at Riverside Studios, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Wimbledon College of Arts. Our sessions at Riverside Studios regularly sell out due to popular demand.
Scroll down to see our workshop repetoire. Our workshops can be adapted to run for 1.5-3 hours.
For upcoming sessions, check our What's On page here.
The Artist As Producer
Led by Psychonaut’s Director, Arielle Zilkha, this session is made for artists of any discipline and level, who want to develop their artistic brand and identity. The session will equip you with insights needed to view your artistic practice with a business mindset, looking at developing your brand, whether you are an individual or a company.
We will dive into exploring areas such as developing key partnerships, finding your niche, and building your profile with marketing and PR, through practical, reflective exercises and open discussion. We will also analyse and reflect on some industry examples. Through the session, you’ll be equipped with practical advice and actionable steps to channel your inner producer and develop a unique, strategic presence in the cultural scene.
This workshop is aimed at Higher Education and professional artists.
Playwriting: Developing Ideas for the Stage
This session will incorporate a mixture of writing exercises and experienced advice to help allow your ideas for stage develop and flourish. Regardless of your experience level, we aim to provide you with practical tools to assist you in nurturing your ideas from inception to stage.
The session will cover the techniques on how to plan and structure your initial play idea, as well as dramaturgical support for any specific obstacles you might currently be facing in getting that idea on to the page.
This workshop can be adapted for A-Level, Higher Education and professional artists.
Creative Collaboration: Running an Artistic Company
Led by Psychonaut’s Arielle Zilkha and Francesca Fatichenti, this workshop is designed for multidisciplinary artists balancing creative collaborations with the demands of working in a company.
In this workshop we share our methodology for balancing our artistic practice with the demands of working in a company.
The session offers a holistic approach to sustaining your artistic practice while managing both creative and organizational responsibilities., as a multidisciplinary artist. Through reflective exercises and group discussions, we explore the complexities of collaboration, balancing artistic visions with administrative needs, aligning team goals, and structuring projects effectively. At the end of the session you are equipped with practical strategies for collaboration and a clearer path to realizing your creative work.
This workshop is aimed at Higher Education and professional artists.
Exploring the Boundaries of Art in Performance
Led by Francesca Fatichenti, this session explores contemporary performance art while expanding your practical creative toolkit. Through hands-on exercises and
collaborative creation, participants engage with the key question: “What makes something art, and how do we know when performance becomes art?”
We draw on examples of cutting-edge performance art from around the world, then
focus on creating in real-time. You will experiment with performance painting, using
colour and movement to create art live, and interdisciplinary performances that blend technology and interaction. This session offers a chance to blend physical performance with conceptual and visual elements. By the end of the session, you will have new insights and methods to expand your practice.
This workshop is aimed at Higher Education and professional artists.
The Dance of the Actor:
Building Stage Presence
This workshop focuses on developing stage presence, precision, and the ability to connect with others. Participants will explore diverse movement styles, spatial dynamics, and energies, drawing from Eastern and Western theatre traditions, physical theatre, and sports. The goal is to unlock new possibilities for the body and imagination while enhancing key actor skills such as body language, scene awareness, and artistic expression.
For beginners, the workshop offers a foundation in theatrical education, emphasizing stage presence and theatricality. Experienced actors will find opportunities to break free from habits and clichés, discovering fresh modes of expression and spontaneity. Through guided exploration, participants will expand their creative toolbox, building a deeper connection between body, space, and performance. This dynamic experience is designed to inspire actors at all levels to push their boundaries and enrich their craft.
This workshop can be adapted for A-Level, Higher Education and professional artists.
psychonaut scratch
Our scratch nights are dedicated to showcasing alternative performance, designed for multidisciplinary artists to present the early stages of their performance work, amongst an audience. The event runs for two hours, with each artist receiving a 15 minute slot to perform their piece, and receive meaningful audience feedback that they can use for their further development. Previous nights have showcased a range of styles including performance art, drag, clown, sound art, interactive performance, stand-up, installation and more.
Audience members receive a programme with information on the artists' pieces, as well as a few questions curated by the artist that shape the feedback session.
Psychonaut Scratch is open to artists of all ages, disciplines and experience levels.
If you're interested in us running a Psychonaut Scratch at your venue, get in touch here.
psychonaut lab
experiment, train, play and discover
We believe it's vital that a space exists where artists can come together and explore whatever they wish, with no need to create an end product.
That's why we created Psychonaut Lab: a dynamic, collaborative space designed for creative experimentation and practical research.
Running as a two-three hour performance laboratory for multidisciplinary artists, the sessions are facilitated by our core team. They are loosely structured, and evolve around exploring a practical research question, with time for reflection.
Through the sessions, you can:
meet new collaborators and build connections across disciplines
test ideas and hypotheses in a purely experimental space
become part of a wider community of performance researchers