Petition: Save the Alexander Technique at RADA

When actor Jonathan Pryce was asked which book changed his life, he replied:

The one the teacher put under my head during the Alexander technique sessions at RADA. I grew an inch and a half.

‘Q&A: Jonathan Pryce’, The Guardian, 7 March 2015

And now RADA – The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art – is proposing cutting their Alexander Technique (AT) programme by 70%, and is in redundancy consultation with its director of 40 years. What’s worse, there appears to be a degree of skulduggery in the consultation process with students.

Please sign the petition against RADA’s ill-conceived move.

AT is fundamental to the training at RADA, and is part of its world-class status. It is an incredibly powerful and meaningful practice for actors, and should not be discarded. For example, award-winning actor Lily Gladstone has recently spoken about its huge impact on her.

The creator of the petition has explained the significance of AT at RADA as follows:

One to one and group Alexander Technique classes are, for many, the backbone of the training at RADA, an area of work that simply cannot be done quickly; it takes time and patience, but it feeds into voice, movement and acting work. The patience, gentleness and presence that Alexander Technique’s approach offers isn’t captured in other areas of teaching, yet it is fundamental to a longevous artistic practice. It’s also unique to RADA, having been phased out certainly of other British drama schools (yet remaining at both Yale and Julliard), and is something that, without being exposed to as students, is an area of practice that many students will be completely aware of, and/or unable to access.

Caitlin McEwan

And here’s another insightful petition comment:

Refined over generations of experience in the world of the performing arts, the Alexander Technique is unique in its ability to support actors throughout their development and careers by training them l to look after their health and to optimise their skills by accessing their full physical, vocal and emotional range. It would be a great disservice to up-and-coming actors to deprive them of this powerful and transformative practice that is so fundamental to an actor’s craft and ongoing wellbeing. It is especially distressing that Katya Benjamin, a teacher with so much expertise and experience, is threatened with redundancy.

Loretta Manson