Profile on Diane Radford

Diane's mission is to help people present themselves in a relaxed, confident and naturally expressive way through the art of voice and performance.

Diane's involvement in the performing and creative arts has focused on acting, sculpting, Flamenco dance, singing, teaching and directing. She appreciates the differences in each discipline and enjoys sharing her passion for voice, performance, Pilates and creativity. Diane believes that pushing one's creative boundaries leads to self-advancement, satisfaction and fulfilment, and these are the very things she aims to impart as a teacher.

Diane's qualifications, performance experience, background training and teaching experience indicate the unique skill base that she brings to her teaching.

Diane has also worked in various administrative and management roles in the public and private sector.

Qualifications:

ATCL - Trinity College London Associate Teacher's Diploma (Speech & Drama)
LTCL - Trinity College London Licentiate Teacher's Diploma (Speech & Drama)
FTCL - Trinity College London Fellow (Speech & Drama)
Registered Teacher Speech Communication Association NZ
National Certificate in Business Studies
Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults
Neurolinguistic Programming Master Practitioner
Pilates Instructor PhysicalMind Institute New York

Awards:

New Zealand Champion Toastmaster (Oral Reading Contest) 1987.
New Zealand Champion Theatre Federation One Act Play Festival 1991.

Teaching/directing Experience includes:

2007-2010 Voice and Performance workshop trainer to Lecturers, Victoria University, Wellington
2007-2010 Voice & Performance workshop trainer to Gym Instructors at Les Mills Extreme Wellington
2002-2010 Adult Voice and Performance Trainer, Private Studio
2002-2010 Children & Teen Speech & Drama Teacher, Private Studio  
2002-2010 Voice & Performance Workshops for Wellington City Council, Community Arts Programme
2009 Communication trainer to The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
2008 Voice Coach, Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School
2008 Storytelling Workshop Instructor, Secondary Schools Leadership Course, World Vision
2007 Voice & Performance workshop trainer to Senior Staff, Ministry of Economic Development
1995-2007 Voice Tutor to the Performing Arts Diploma students at the Wellington Performing Arts Centre.
2006 Voice Workshop Trainer for the Wellington City Council Swimming Instructors.
2005 Voice Tutor, New Zealand College of Performing Arts, Whitirea Polytechnic.
2001 Vocal Workshop Trainer for Saatchi & Saatchi
1998-2000 Voice, Diction & Performance Art Workshop Trainer for the Wellington Community Interpreting Services
1999 Voice Tutor for the National Youth Drama School, Hawke’s Bay - voice and movement training with final performance

Performance Highlights include:

Acting:

Women's Circus performances 2004, 2005, 2006 and Fringe Festivals 2007, 2008 & 2009.
Kanagawa International Festival of the Arts, Japan 1992
Summer Shakespeare 1992
National Finalist Theatre Federation One Act Play Festival 1991

Singing:

2008  WOSOSI (World Song Singers) Concert at Queen Margaret College, Wellington
2007  WOSOSI (World Song Singers) Concert at Te Papa Marae, Wellington

Physical Theatre:

Dancing the Lagoon, 1997 Wellington Fringe Festival – for which I also designed a 10 metre fire sculpture as the central display for the production.

Flamenco Dance:

The House of Bernarda Alba (with Wellington’s Desde Sevilla Flamenco group & Australia’s Antonio Vargas of Strictly Ballroom fame) Wellington 2001.

Background & ongong training includes:

2009 Jan Bolton Voice Workshop, Toi Whakaari, Wellington
2009 Speech Communication Association (NZ) Inc Professional Development Seminar, Auckland
2008 Core Transformational Dance Workshop with Ingrid Kolle, Pukerua Bay
2007 & 2008 Singing with WOSOSI, Bert van Dijk, Wellington
2007 Introduction to Fitmaurice Voice Workshop with David Nevell of USA, NZ Drama School, Wellington
2006 Clown Workshop, NZ Drama School, Wellington
2006 Gestalt Art & Drama Therapy Workshop
2005 Michael Checkhov Technique training, Wellington & Masterton
2003 Patsy Rodenburg Voice & Directing Masterclasses, Wellington
2001 Roy Hart Voice Training, London
2000 Flamenco Dance with Antonio Vargas (Sydney, Australia), in Wellington
2000 Jo Estill Voice Training, NZ Drama School, Wellington
1999 Suzuki Technique with Ana Woolf (Argentina)—a vocal and physical training
1997 Kristen Linklater voice technique with Timothy Douglas of USA, Wellington
1996 Physical Theatre & Roy Hart Voice Training with Bert van Dijk, Wellington
1993 Australian International Theatre Workshop Festival—(Adelaide)
· Butoh Dance with Akaji Maro of Japan
· Impulse Acting with Lindy Davies of Australia
· Voice with Frankie Armstrong of Cardiff, UK