#FADRoundtables Webseries #BehindTheScenes

I recently launched a new project I'm so excited about, the #FADRoundtables Webseries. It's something I have been dreaming about and planning for quite a while now and I am so excited to finally have the first two webisodes live and up on YouTube!

The heart behind the series, is to both inform and inspire those who aim to enter and succeed in the entertainment/arts industries, as well as those who are already working hard to build careers following their passions.

Each webisode takes the form of a one hour interview with 5 industry professionals who are at the top of their respective fields, having a dialogue about the South African arts industries and their personal experiences in it.

For the first webisode of the #FADRoundtables - namely The Actresses, I had the honour of chatting to five gorgeous and highly accomplished ladies in the industry: Fiona Ramsay, Mary-Anne Barlow, Bianca Le Grange, Bertha Le Roux and Cindy Swanepoel.

Watch us chat about how they got started, what they think about nudity, auditions, age and the tough times..... here.


The second webisode #FADRoundtables was - The Actors, 5 crazy talented and high-profile gentlemen at the top of their fields who spent an hour with me chatting about the industry, auditioning, embarrassing moments and what keeps them motivated: Andre Schwartz, Neels Clasen, Jacques Bessenger, Emmanuel Castis and Desmond Dube. 

What a great pleasure to have spoken to these passionate guys, each sharing their experiences and insights. Watch the full video.... here.


We had the best team 'behind the scenes'. We were so blessed to be hosted by the wonderful Live Arts Little Theatre in Boksburg with Louw Breytenbach and Rehal Knoetze. The excellent photographs taken of our VIP guests (seen above) were taken by the lovely Clarice Pieterse from Iris.Grace Photography. The FADRoundtables logo was designed especially for us by Anzel Liebenberg from Fire Cherry Designs. The beautiful wooden FADRoundtables and other gift broaches by Stiki were just perfect and a great hit with the guests. The magic team of make-up and hair stylists from 'Follicle-on-the-move' made sure we were all beautifully transformed and camera-ready. And finally our great footage was captured by Ferdinand Gernandt and Hermann Winter-Greyling (also our brilliant editor) and assisted by Roelien Prinsloo.

Thanks so much for all your support! Please go ahead like and share the YouTube videos with those who need a little inspiration!

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Chat soon!

Fiona 'Speakeasy' Ramsay #FanClub

I think it is safe to say that Fiona Ramsay is one of the actresses on my top list of acting icons, equal to the likes of Meryl and Judi.

Fiona's experience, credits and list of achievements is awe-inspiring and surely speaks for itself.
Only a few of her credits include...

On Screen: Homeland, Dominion, Black Sails, The Bang Bang Club, In My Country.

On Stage: Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Streets of Gold, Delirium, Sailing Somewhere, The Old and The Beautiful.

As a language, accent and dialogue coach, (her company is called Speakeasy Vocal Training) Fiona has been commissioned on several local and international film and stage productions. Notably she acted as dialogue or language coach for Stander, Hotel Rwanda, Winnie Mandela, Material and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom coaching actor Idris Elba who portrayed Madiba in the feature. In 2014 she worked as dialogue and dialect coach on The Salvation and also did work on the Charlize Theron and Sean Penn feature The Last Face that filmed in Cape Town.
Check her out on IMDb.

In December last year a few of my FADCreationS Mentorship students and I watched Fiona Ramsay in the two-hander 'The Old and The Beautiful' at the POPArt Theatre in Maboneng.


It was so great to see Fi in an intimate theatrical piece like this alongside Tony Bentel, showcasing her phenomenal skill, incredible diversity and emotional depth engaging the audience from beginning to end. The outing with my students reminded me to remain in touch with my own student spirit and Fiona reminded me to stay inspired, to use what personally moves me in my work and projects and to keep learning from the greats. 
 

How lucky am I to have had the privilege to work with her in my career (Thoroughly Modern Millie 2006) and I honestly hope that I get to do so again in the future!

I know that she is planning to bring the production Doubt to the stage soon, and will keep you posted when I find out about upcoming production venue and dates! Also, soon I will be launching the first episode of the FAD Roundtables - The Actresses online, where Fiona is one of 5 other actresses in a one hour interview chatting about our industry and their career experiences in it. I can't wait to share it with you all!!!

Stay inspired peeps!

Enjoying Where You Are #PersonalPost

Sometimes we can get a little frustrated with where we are in life and end up feeling stuck. Because in our own minds we have all these expectations about where we should be, what we should have achieved by now, what we should be seeing or having in our lives... But the reality is, that's not your current reality. And that's okay!

Here are a few things I do to remind myself of the now, to remind myself to enjoy where I am, right now, in this moment and season of life.

1. Daily Gratitude 
For me it has taken many forms over the years, but I like to create a daily ritual in which I either write in a journal, or on cards that go in a jar, or share with a family member at least 3 things that I am grateful for that day. It really makes you look at the blessings in the now and feel positive about where you are.

2. Celebrate Self
Make a fuss over your own achievements, even if nobody else does! Reward yourself. Take a day off. Go to the spa. See a friend. Save for and buy something you really want and desire. Make a gold star chart if you want! And emotionally, take on that feeling of achievement, that 'well done' slap on the back and own it!

3. Do more of what you Love
Walk the dog. Walk in the park. Walk in the mall. Create a scrapbook, take beautiful pictures or visit museums. Watch your favourite series, go to the movies, watch a play. Visit with friends. Go to classes.. dancing, acting, yoga. Have a bubble bath. Drink wine. Eat chocolate. Work out like a mean mother. Go for a run, do warrior races, play your music really loudly. Write, plant, paint, sleep or whatever makes you feel really yummy inside.

4. Replace lower energies with high ones.
Acknowledge any feelings of guilt, fear or worry, understand why they are there and then replace them with energies of joy, passion and love. It takes practice, but not allowing negativity to cloud your world is the first step to being happy with and enjoying where you are.

5. Stop, Breathe, Observe
When you have a moment of frustration, stop. Look around you. See life. See beauty. See people. There are many people around you who you may aspire to, but also those who make you realise how far you have come and all you have to be grateful for. Breathe. Accept. And go on to nr.6.

6. Take Action
Every small piece of action counts. Even if it means that today the only productive thing you did was sweep your porch, or sort through old photos or made an important phone call - then that was the one thing that filled you up, cleared things out or propelled you forward.

7. Believe for the future 
You will have a hard time being okay with the now, if you do not have worth-wile and worthy goals for the future. Have some, or at least one big hairy scary goal that makes you dream and hope and wish and believe for it! Then also have interim goals that are stepping stones, not too far away and feels achievable in your mind. Make a vision board, or a vision journal or a vision Pinterest board! ;) But do have a picture for your future in mind. That is what will fuel you on the way to getting there, while enjoying where you are.





Love to you all,

Gaynor Young #InstantInspiration

Thank you Gaynor Young! Thank you for the joy of your blog "'Ear 'Ear"and the incredible gift of sharing your journey with the digital world. I stumbled across it as I searched through many entertainment, theatre or arts blogs and I am so profoundly happy that I did. It was the perfect thing at the perfect moment.

As artists, we so often fall victim to our own self-doubt, criticism and cynicism. We allow our 'artistic' selves to run away with endless questions, musings and often hopeless convictions about the industry or our careers.
And then you get to read a post (The Loved One!) by someone who many years after a tragic and horrific accident in a theatre and two cochlear implants later, for the first time was able to listen, really listen to a performance by the wonderful South African vocal artist PJ Powers, ... and tears begin to well up.
You read the post called Pardon! on forgiveness for those who held responsibility for this tragedy and cannot stop the gentle tears from spilling over.

Gaynor, your story is such a well known tale among theatre folk and your name synonymous with theatre safety and tragedy. BUT what people don't bother thinking about is what came after, how many challenges you must have faced and conquered since then, how you have turned that event into a pivotal moment of change and motivation in your life and how you manage to inspire so many by what you continue to accomplish day by day.

I can not wait to delve deeper into the depths of your blog and somehow get a hold of your book 'My Plunge to Fame'.

Thank you for reminding me that life is a gift, that every day is a gift and that every obstacle we face is a gift... to be more, to do more and to live more.

For #InstantInspiration go and read or follow Gaynor's blog 'Ear 'Ear and follow her on twitter at @earearblog.

Much inspired love,