VOICE TALE (SPEAKING SONG)

Voice Tale (Speaking Song) – ONE DAY INTENSE WORKSHOP 
Ditte Berkeley

Every voice has a tale to tell — in fact, a million tales. The voice changes depending on the song, the experiences, the listener, the sounds surrounding it, and the state of the singer.

As an actress, I enter into a dialogue with my voice each time I sing: How are we going to sing this today? What about this sound? How does it feel? What does it say? What tale does it tell? The exploration pushes me further and brings new questions. This is the work of the performer who wants to transform song or text into a tool for profound exchange between singer and listener. The voice, naked and exposed, allows for a rare kind of sharing — one that can feel uncertain yet deeply powerful. Exploring its borders and connections through physical experience, imagery, and associations enriches our communicative tools and opens a space for discovery.

This workshop focuses on exploring our own voices, as well as their reflections and fusions with the voices of others. We will work on cultivating confidence in the sound of our own voices, discovering their richness, and building foundations of support through breath, physical awareness, and imagination. We will explore the strength of the voice when heard alone, and the power it gains when joining in polyphony with others.

More and more, performing arts demand that dancers also act and sing, and that actors and singers also move. This workshop is therefore designed specifically for performers and students of performance — in dance, theatre, and music — as well as anyone interested in performing through song and text. It is rooted in ensemble practice, helping us grow as individuals while working as a team. In today’s world, built on individualism and competitiveness, such work is essential. Polyphonic singing traditions bring people together through the joy of shared sound, teaching us endless lessons in coexistence and collaboration.

This workshop takes you on a journey of awareness and empowerment through the voice, offering insight not only into artistic performance but also into how we use our voices to coexist as human beings and to communicate what truly matters.

Prices (Sliding Scale)

• Students / Artists in need of social support (unemployed, refugee status, single parents, etc.): €60 (until 27th September)
• Regular price: €90
• Sponsor price: €120 (helps support those unable to pay the full fee)

If the lowest fee is still unattainable at this moment in your life, please contact me directly at [email protected].

Please remember that the sliding scale exists to ensure that no one is excluded due to financial difficulty. If you can afford the higher fee, please consider paying it — by doing so, you enable others to join. I will gladly acknowledge your support if you wish.

Ditte Berkeley — Artist, Voice Researcher, Educator

Ditte Berkeley is a dynamic theatre practitioner, vocal artist, and educator with roots in Denmark and the UK. Raised in Spain, she trained at London’s Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama. As an independent artist, her core fascination lies in the transformative power of song within performance.

Currently, she performs in Source Material’s acclaimed production Life in This House is Over, which premiered recently in New York, alongside artists from Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch and Teatr ZAR. She also works as a vocal and language coach in the film industry and has appeared as a screen actress in various productions.

A cornerstone of her career is her collaboration with Teatr ZAR, where she was a founding member and co-creator in the company’s first five performances. She also initiated VoicEncounters, a recurring festival of vocal traditions hosted by the Grotowski Institute in Wrocław, and co-organized the international festival Giving Voice in 2009 with CPR Wales.

In her pedagogical practice, Ditte has co-led transformative workshops such as Into the Sound (with Teatr ZAR) and Awakening the Listening Body (with Matej Matejka), cultivating deep bodily and vocal awareness in performers. She continues to pioneer her own voice-focused workshops, most notably Voice Tale (Speaking Song), offered internationally. She has also been a guest teacher at leading institutions such as Central School of Speech and Drama, Rose Bruford College, RADA, Italia Conti, CALARTS, and Institut del Teatre.

Alongside her theatre and teaching work, Ditte has contributed to Polish cinema through various roles and remains active in new film projects.

Workshop Schedule
10:00–13:30 | 15:00–18:30