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Fees: $80-$160 + 100% Subsidy 2 Spots Available (see below)
VIVO Media Arts Centre is pleased to present Acting Foundations for Film & Television, a workshop facilitated by August Winter.
The word ‘acting’ can often be associated with ‘pretending’, which implies a false or manufactured experience, which is the farthest from what I believe this art form to be. So, although this is an ‘acting’ class, my goal is not to teach anyone how to act, but rather, offer tools and guidance that bring you into presence, your own intuitive creative impulses, and as a result, a truthful experience of each moment (and of yourself).
Limited capacity: register now to reserve your spot! Registration Deadline: June 16, 2026
Saturday June 27: 10am - 2pm
Sunday June 28: 10am - 2pm
(Two sessions, 8 hours total)
Using film/tv scripts as well as partner-work explorations, in this immersive two-day workshop, we’ll be covering:
Learning outcomes:
This workshop is queer & trans friendly and welcoming to all identities. Previous training is not required, though some experience in acting or performance could be an asset.
* Active members should have already received a discount code based on their membership level. If not, please email learning@vivomediaarts.com.
^ If you’ve volunteered with VIVO, you should have received a discount code based on your stored Video Bucks. If not, please email learning@vivomediaarts.com.
Want access to discounts?
Sign up for a VIVO Membership.
To learn more about getting involved in the future, check out our volunteering page.
Two no-cost workshop spots will be available for individuals from marginalized or underserved communities facing financial barriers. To enter the lottery for a 100% subsidy, please email learning@vivomediaarts.com. The deadline to apply is June 15, 2026.
Results will be shared with all applicants by June 18.
Class sizes are small, and our instructors need to be paid. If you can’t make a class that you’ve signed up for, we need time to alert wait-listed participants. VIVO presently asks that withdrawals from workshops be requested by emailing learning@vivomediaarts.com. Please notify us at least 10 days before the workshop (by Tuesday, June 16 end of day) if you need to withdraw to receive a refund. Note that the ShowPass processing fee is non-refundable, and we cannot process any refund requests after June 16.
If the workshop does not reach minimum capacity, it will be cancelled and all participants will receive a full refund.
VIVO is located in the homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples in a warehouse space at 2625 Kaslo Street south of East Broadway at the end of E 10th. Transit line 9 stops at Kaslo Street on Broadway. From the bus stop, the path is paved, curbless, and on a slight decline. The closest skytrain station is Renfrew Station, which is three blocks south-east of VIVO and has an elevator. From there, the path is paved, curbless, and on a slight incline. There is parking available at VIVO, including wheelchair access parking. There is a bike rack at the entrance. The front entrance leads indoors to a set of 7 stairs to the lobby.
A wheelchair ramp is located at the west side of the main entrance. The ramp has two runs: the first run is 20 feet long, and the second run is 26 feet. The ramp is 60 inches wide. The slope is 1:12. The ramp itself is concrete and has handrails on both sides. There is an outward swinging door (34 inch width) at the top of the ramp leading to a vestibule. A second outward swinging door (33 inch width) opens into the exhibition space. Buzzers and intercoms are located at both doors to notify staff during regular office hours or events to unlock the doors. Once unlocked, visitors can use automatic operators to open the doors.
There are two all-gender washrooms. One has a stall and is not wheelchair accessible. The other is a single room with a urinal and is wheelchair accessible: the door is 33 inches wide and inward swinging, without automation. The toilet has 11 inch clearance on the left side and a handrail.
To reach the bathrooms from the studio, exit through the double doors and proceed straight through the lobby and down the hall . Turn left, and the two bathrooms will be on your right side. The closest one has a stall and is not wheelchair accessible. The far bathroom is accessible.
August Winter (they/he) is a queer, trans actor, educator, director, screenwriter, movement artist, musician and performance coach. He is anchored by creating community with other queer and trans artists in the process of collaboration.
As an actor, August is known for his role in Sarah Polley’s Oscar winning film Women Talking. Other select credits include: Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC), Mary Kills People (CTV), Pretty Hard Cases (CTV), and Saving Hope (CTV). August was also a member of the company at the Stratford Festival for six seasons, most are most notably known for their performances in productions such as To Kill A Mockingbird, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and Elektra. August has taught on-camera acting to a range of ages, abilities and backgrounds for the past 10+ years. He coaches privately, as well as out of LB Acting Studio (Toronto) and has guest lectured at the University of Michigan. He is specifically sought out by students who appreciate a somatic, trauma-informed lens. Wherever possible, August creates welcoming training spaces for the queer and trans community to be in the process of deep learning together.
