This practical workshop for theatre practitioners and artists is the first in a series of multi- disciplinary professional development workshops, hosted by Four Rivers theatre company, throughout 2026. (https://www.nationaloperahouse.ie/whats-on/embodied-presence) Tutor: Libby Seward Venue: Jerome Hynes Theatre, National Opera House, Wexford. Time: 10am-4pm Fee: €50 (including lunch) Date: April 19 at 10 a.m. As actors, performers and expressive artists, we often need to draw on a variety of different physical patterns, rhythms and ways of using space. Working with the Feldenkrais Method, we will explore ways to discover new physical patterns and connections that support expressive change in a way that feels owned from the inside out. Even small physical changes can have a strong impact on how we experience the embodiment of a role or how we present or deliver our own stories. This workshop will use gentle movement exploration, to bring awareness to our physical patterns, and will invite experimentation with new ones. This is for anyone who is a performer (actor, singer, mover, expressive artist) or who is curious about exploring expressive physicality through the Feldenkrais method. Artist Bursaries: Four Rivers will offer a limited number of artist bursaries to attend this workshop. Should you wish to be considered for a bursary, please email: heather4rivers@gmail.com for further information. Four Rivers is a theatre company for the South East of Ireland. It has been established to bring new and classic plays to audiences in the region and to give voice to the creative communities of Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Carlow. The company is led by Wexford native, Ben Barnes who is a former artistic director of the Abbey Theatre. fourrivers.ie Libby Seward is a movement director, Feldenkrais practitioner, dance artist, choreographer, mentor, and Head of Movement at the Gaiety School of Acting, where she leads a somatic- based approach to training performers across disciplines. A valued creative consultant to both established and emerging artists, her opera and theatre credits include productions with Wexford Festival Opera, Irish National Opera, Opera Theatre Company, and RIAM Opera, among others. As a collaborator, she has contributed to major interdisciplinary and public art projects including Anáil na Beatha, Stormy Petrel at the GPO, and Closer Encounters for Imagine Arts Festival.