Classes & Workshops

Seen & Heard: Reclaiming the Voice as a Sacred Instrument

This workshop is for singers, performers, and artists who have felt the sting of perfectionism, burnout, or disconnection from their voice. Whether you’re returning to the stage or simply longing to feel more at home in your own sound, this space is designed to meet you there. We’ll work with the voice not just as a technical tool, but as an extension of the nervous system—a site of healing, power, and presence. Through a blend of somatic voicework, breath practice, and trauma-informed performance tools, participants will be guided to soften performance anxiety, reconnect to their body, and explore voice as a form of self-witnessing and creative expression.

Rooted in vocal pedagogy and nervous system science—but infused with warmth and play—Seen & Heard invites you to reimagine what it means to be fully expressed, without needing to prove or perfect. You don’t need to identify as a professional singer. You just need to have a voice—and a desire to use it in a way that feels true.

Dates: July 26, 2025 from 12 pm - 4 pm

Location: Grindstone Studio (9562 82 Ave NW)

Instructor: Sierra Jamerson

Prerequisite: NA

Showcase: There is no showcase for this class

Cost: $225 +GST (there is no early bird for this workshop)

Facilitator Bio:

Sierra Jamerson is a genre-defying vocalist, performer, and somatic voice facilitator with nearly two decades of experience as both an artist and educator. Known for her emotionally resonant voice and magnetic stage presence, she has shared the stage with internationally renowned vocalist Josh Groban, performed alongside musical legends like The Drifters and Mavis Staples, and was part of a command performance for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She is the founder of Temple of Sound, a voice and rhythm-based healing practice where vocal technique, nervous system science, and sacred ritual converge. Her workshops combine somatic voicework, breath and movement, and trauma-informed embodiment tools—supporting artists in reclaiming their voice as a site of safety, power, and creative expression.

An award-winning certified therapeutic drum circle facilitator, Sierra received the When African Women Talk Her Legacy Award for Arts in 2024. She has taught thousands of singers and artists of all ages and is revered as “an open channel of musical expression of the highest order.

Register today at Grindstonetheatre.ca/adultworkshops

You're Invited: Neighbour Appreciation Day at the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre!

Date: Sunday, June 8 | 10 am – 1 pm
Location: 244034 Horizon View Rd, Calgary, AB T3Z 3M5

We’re opening our gates for a special Neighbour Appreciation Day at the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre! Join us for a relaxed morning of art and connection in the Sculpture Park. Enjoy guided tours of the park every hour on the hour, and take part in drop-in engagement activities throughout the grounds. The May/June KOAC Artist in Residence, Sinéad Ludwig-Burgess, will be on site, and visitors will be able to engage with her work and learn more about our residency program.

Whether you're visiting for the first time or returning to see what's new, we look forward to welcoming you and celebrating the creative spirit of our community.

No registration required - drop on by!

www.koartscentre.org/neighbour-appreciation-day 

The Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society (AMAAS) is excited to present MIDDLE GROUND, a media arts conference taking place in Red Deer, from June 26 – 29, 2025.

As a gathering space in Central Alberta, the conference will be held at Red Deer Polytechnic with programming at Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery, Carnival Cinemas, and the Centennial Stage of Scott Block Theatre, where we will be learning and working on both Treaty 6 and 7 lands.

AMAAS hosts media artists and cultural workers from across the province at this biennial conference, which provides a gathering space for professional development, organizational capacity building opportunities, as well as excellent artistic content. Experience shared learning and networking, resource exchanges and collaborations at this highly anticipated event.

For more information, go to: www.amaas.ca/conference-2025

A 1-day introduction to puppetry workshop. Participants will develop skills in puppet manipulation and character development. They will have the opportunity to design and create their own puppets using a variety of materials, such as paper, card, fabric, and other craft supplies.  Included is a brief overview of different puppet types, including hand puppets, rod puppets, and marionettes, with an exploration of the history and cultural significance of puppetry.

For over three decades Heather has worked in theatre, film, television, circus, concerts, corporate events, cruise ships, dance, and opera as a designer, technician, instructor, stage manager, event planner, props builder, puppeteer, carpenter, and clown. She participated in the Banff Puppet Theatre Intensive and the Gros Morne Puppetry Workshop and Residency and was Co-creator of Cat vs. Dog presented at the Play the Fool Festival Rookie Cabaret. Born in Northern Ontario on the traditional territory of the anishinaabeg peoples, and generations of cultural roots in ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland), she is currently based in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, AB).
heathercornick.carbonmade.com

Register today at grindstonetheatre.ca/kidsandteenslandingpage

Shaking it Up: Improvising Shakespeare 

Shakespeare is hilarious. His plays are packed with sharp wit, clever wordplay, and some of the best sex jokes in history. He made poetry sound natural, which is why he’s still the most famous playwright in the world.

If you do improv, you’re going to run into Shakespeare scenes—a lot. This workshop is all about making them fun, easy, and believable. You’ll learn how to decode the language, find the rhythm, and bring out the comedy, so your Shakespearean improv scenes feel effortless and engaging.

Taught by Mat Mailandt, a trained theatre actor and professional comedian (Hamlet: Improvised (2012), Macbeth: Improvised (2025), Second City Faculty, this two-hour session will break down Shakespeare’s tricks and give you practical tools to confidently play in his style.

​Come ready to shake things up, experiment, and have fun with the Bard!

• Dates: June 4, 2025 from 7 - 9 pm 

• Location:  Grindstone Studio (9562 82 Ave NW) 

• Instructor: Mat Mailandt 

• Prerequisite:  Intermediate or Advanced Improvisers 

• Showcase:  There is no showcase for this class 

• Cost:  $150 (there is no early bird for this workshop) 

Dates: Jun 25, 2025 - Jul 30, 2025
Total of 6 sessions
Starts Jun 25
Cost: $381.60
Location: Orange Hub Black Box Theatre (10045 156 St, NW Edmonton)

Learn the fundamentals of improv in a fun and supportive environment. Students will build a strong foundation of self-acceptance, spontaneity, and playfulness as they learn to make up scenes on the spot. This class will focus on the basics of improv and how to get started as a performer. Join long-practicing improviser and teacher Cayley McConaghy for an engaging and high-energy experience.

www.grindstonetheatre.ca/service-page/improv-101b

Dates: Jun 23, 2025 - Jul 28, 2025
Total of 6 sessions
Starts Jun 23
$381.60
Orange Hub Black Box Theatre (10045 156 St, NW Edmonton)

This class is designed to get you feeling confident and comfortable being on stage, expressing yourself, and collaborating with other actors. It has the essential tools you need to start working on text, responding creatively to impulse, and sharing the action with the audience. Your instructor will create an engaging and supportive environment for you to strut your stuff! The class culminates in a public showcase.

www.grindstonetheatre.ca/service-page/improv-101a

Dates: Jun 26, 2025 - Jul 31, 2025
Total of 6 sessions
Starts Jun 26
Cost: $477
Location: Orange Hub Black Box Theatre (10045 156 St, NW Edmonton)

In this class, you’ll learn the basic structure of a short joke, how it works, and how you can write your own. Next, you’ll learn how that very same structure is applied to long-form jokes and comedic storytelling. This class is a good blend of the theoretical (how to write for stand-up), and the practical (how to perform it).

www.grindstonetheatre.ca/service-page/stand-up-101b