Contents
We will apply theatre-based training to support female researchers in self-awareness, spatial and vocal control, and effective communication. This workshop teaches how increasing our self-perception shapes leadership, and we will learn techniques used to command respect and space in playful and fun ways.
Why this workshop
Female researchers often face unique societal and systemic barriers in leadership and research spaces, including being interrupted, overlooked, or underestimated. This workshop addresses these challenges by building essential leadership skills such as self-awareness, spatial presence, and clear, effective communication, using proven techniques from theatre and actor training.
Why us as workshop leaders
We bring long-standing expertise in both scientific research settings and performance-based training. Our approach uniquely adapts actor training methods, not to teach performance per se, but to foster authentic self-awareness, status management, and spatial/body control. These are crucial, transferable skills that female researchers can apply directly in their professional environments.
What we plan to achieve
● Empower participants to recognize and control how they are perceived in a space.
● Build authentic presence and leadership confidence.
● Provide actionable tools to project authority and manage interactions in high-pressure situations.
How we are planning to achieve it
We use actor-based training exercises, adapted for professional environments, split into three core sections:
1. Awareness: Cultivating self, body, breath, and voice awareness.
2. Power: Developing presence, confidence, and control of the room.
3. Interaction: Training to manage interruptions and high-pressure situations.
This workshop is funded by the iDiv Early-Career Women in Science Fund.
Lecturer
Letizia studied Philology, Literature, and History at the universities of Turin, Italy, and Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, earning her master’s degree in 2018. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Theatre Studies at Leipzig University. Since 2011, she has gained extensive experience as a theatre maker, taking part in over 30 projects across Italy and Germany as a performer, director, and dramaturg. In Leipzig, she has been involved at English Theatre Leipzig for six years, serving as chairperson and producing director since 2022.
Josiane studied at the University of Oxford and completed her PhD at iDiv in 2023. She now works at the intersection of science, culture and theatre, where she manages and leads projects and workshops, such as the science-theater project “AnthropoScene,”, the community-based creative space “Playhouse” and the science-art project “Lebende Skulpturen” with the botanical garden in Leipzig. Additionally, she is the vice-chair of English Theatre Leipzig where she also oversees development and workshops, and is currently studying acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama. For her interdisciplinary work, she was awarded an arts-science residency by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in the USA for 2025.