Voicing the Archetypes of Myth is a workshop accompanying Threshold: Scores for Self Adventure (without Salvation), an evening of performance curated by Anushiye Yarnell.

For thousands of years, our ancestors sang to accompany work, devotion, seasonal rituals and social gatherings – to express joy, grief, rage, tenderness, hope and fear. All these emotions can be given full range through the power and beauty of the voice.

To help unlock this, Frankie uses a range of gentle movements and exercises to help relax and free the body and voice. She focuses on how to involve the whole body – to give rise to the voice from the feet on up.

In Voicing the Archetypes of Myth, general body-breath-voice preparation leads into explorations of mythological archetypes using movement, visualisation, imagination and vocal play. Frankie guides participants through a story through which they can inhabit the larger-than-life world of the time-less figures of mythology and legend and the vocal qualities that they evoke.

Please wear lose comfortable clothing.
Bring a water bottle, an open heart and mind.

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About the artist

Frankie Armstrong has sung professionally in the folk scene and in the women’s and peace movements since the 1960s, pioneering community voice workshops in 1975. She is fascinated by the way that voice can enhance the individual’s sense of well-being and develop a sense of community. It can link us to the thread of song that comes down to us from our ancestors. Hence, she has always been interested in exploring voice and song in its historical, cultural, political and spiritual dimensions.

Frankie is founder and President of the Natural Voice Network, which grew out of her voice teaching and training work. The development of her voice and singing workshops was informed by her passion for the traditional styles of singing in the British Isles and from around the world, along with her involvement in the ‘natural voice’ developments in the theatre world (particularly the work of Cicely Berry and Kristin Linklater).

Over the years she has run workshops with almost every kind of group – for children of all ages and abilities, professional theatre companies, community and women’s groups, people with disabilities, drama students, therapists, psychiatric patients, folk song students and the elderly. Whatever the specific focus of her workshops, she believes in creating a supportive, generous atmosphere where people do not feel judged or under pressure to get things “right”. The intention is to help people find their own unique voice that generates energy, confidence and a sense of life-full-ness.