ELEANOR OPAL BERNARDES

22-06-1983

Education

                   · -Including 4 month placement at the Higher Theatre School, Tallinn, ESTONIA

•A levels (Eng lit; B, Theatre Studies; B, Music: D) New College, Wellington, Shropshire

•GCSE’s (1A*, 5 As, 6 Bs) Idsall School, Shifnal, Shropshire

Professional

• ZECORA URA THEATRE; General Manager since 2003

Selected Performance Credits

° ' Life Through Dying (TWO)' (ZECORA URA THEATRE. White Bear (Kennington) and The Space- London. 'Out Now Festival', Bremen, and Hildershaim Theatre- Germany. 2004)      -72

                  - Written and Directed by Jorge Lopes Ramos [ZU]

•‘A Doll’s House’ ( ZECORA URA THEATRE, Site-Specific in SE London, 2003) Christine

                  -Text by Ibsen, Directed by Will Hudson [ZU]

•'Alice in Wonderland?' (ZECORA URA THEATRE, Barn Theatre, London and Ylliopislateatri, Tampere- FINLAND, 2003) Various

                  -Devised by the company, Directed by Jorge Lopes
                   Ramos [ZU] and Hannah Whelan [ZU] 

•'Quest of the Sidcup' (KNEEDEEP THEATRE COMPANY, street theatre touring Europe (Tallinn, Vilnius, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Paris, Brussells, Amsterdam, London), 2003) Various

·                  -Written and Devised by the company, with Felicity-Clausen Sternwald [KTC]

 •‘Honey, Baby 14 studies in exile’ (ZECORA URA THEATRE, a Connex train, SE London, 2002/2003) Ella

·                   -Text by Deborah Levy, Directed by Montse Triola

° 'As You Like It' (Contact Theatre, Manchester, 2000) Charles and Corin   -Directed by Kate Webster.

° 'Rosalu' (PENTABUS THEATRE COMPANY, Farid-khot in the Punjab INDIA, 1997) Raj Kumari Kokoilan

•'Comus’ (PENTABUS THEATRE COMPANY, at Ludlow Castle, 1997) Pescator

Selected Directorial Credits

•‘BEAUtY'  by Eyrun Osk Jonsdottir (ZECORA URA THEATRE, The Latchmere LONDON, Hafnarfjodur and Reykjavik ICELAND, 2004) co-director with Jorge Lopes Ramos

•‘Life Through Dying (TWO)’ (ZECORA URA THEATRE, Nagoya JAPAN, and London, 2003+) initial director, and later co-director with Jorge Lopes Ramos

•‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ (Hayward Arts Centre, Shropshire, 2001) 

Educational Projects (Teaching/Workshop leading)

•Workshop Leader on Movement and Improvisation for year 7, WELLING SCHOOL ARTS WEEK, 7/04

•Workshop Leader for work accompanying 'Life Through Dying (TWO)' in London and Germany (Adults and young people), 6/04.

•Workshop Leader (for teachers and Arts professionals) at the CONFERENCE FOR CREATIVITY IN EDUCATION 2004, in association with Welling Arts Partnership and Rose Bruford College, 6/04. 

•Workshop/ Training Leader and Director for the 'E da Nossa Cor' project, an independant film in collaboration with Welling Arts Partnership, Kerusha Pillay (independant film maker) and Ravensbourne College, 4/04.

•Alice in Wonderland?- related workshops on rythm and movement (age 8-12), for ZECORA URA THEATRE, London, 2003 

•Workshops with year 8 students (focused on rythm and movement), for ZECORA URA THEATRE, Marlborough High School, Swindon 2003.

•Telford Stage School, Saturday lessons (various skills) 2000-2001

Currently Working on

ZECORA URA's 'The ALICE Project' (as a performer)

College Credits

Third Year; 'Love Story' (FINAL PRACTICAL DISSERTATION) based on extended research into Heiner Muller and the use of Tantric practice in performer training, DIRECTOR. The Rose Theatre; 'The Space Behind the Face' devising Project. Directed by IAN MORGAN. 'The Kantor Project: The Madman and the Nun/ The Nun and the Madman' directed by JASON ARCARI, PERFORMER. Workshop led on "Can the 'Spect-actor' have a Didactic Theatrical Experience?" 

Second Year; Barn Theatre; ‘School for Wives’ Arnolphe, ‘In the Solitude of Cotton Fields’ Dealer. ‘Sarajevo on the Black Sea’ Director/Son directed by JAMES MIRRIONE. ‘Medeaspiel’ Director/Designer. Rose Theatre; ‘Divine Words’ Goat Goblin Directed by EMILIO ROMERO. Ulliospilateatri, ESTONIA; ‘Waiting for Godot’ Pozzo Directed by KART TOMINGAS.

First Year; Rose Theatre; ‘Critical Perspectives’ Devised by the group, various, ‘Fuento Vejuna’ Alderman/ Flamenco Singer, ‘4:48 Psycosis’ Various, Barn Theatre; ‘Antigone’ Ismene/ lighting designer, ‘Viewpoints’ Devised by the group, various, ‘The Maids’, Various, Site specific; ‘Woyzeck’ Marie.

Selected Training (Extra)

BUSINESS:

"Introduction to Arts Marketing" ITC (Independent Theatre Council) Course 6/04

AMA (Arts Marketing Association) Conference 2004 involving Seminars, lectures and discussions.

OTHER: 

Extensive training in Yoga (Kundalini, Tantra, Ashtanga), various vocal and breathing techniques (voice healing, resonance work, shamanic vocal practice and singing techniques), Butoh (with Marie Gabrielle Roti (BUTOHUK), and Takinuchi), Capoeira (Angola and Regional), Commedia dell'arte (with Alfonso Rodriguez).

MUSIC: Grade 7 cellist, Grade 7 Soprano, Grade 5 Music Theory (working towards Grade 8), also percussion, recorder, guitar, composition (in both classical and contemporary styles).

I have also completed workshops with an array of teachers on diverse subjects including; Grotowski (taught by Ian Morgan), LeCoq (taught by Clive Mendus and Marcello Magni), Edward Gordon Craig (taught by Harvey Grossman), Laban (taught by Anna Sanchez), Bausch (also by Sanchez), Artaud (taught by Brian Singleton) and other titles including Kabuki, Suzuki, Veiwpoints, Neutral and expressive masks, and various dance courses including Ballet, Contemporary and Biomechanics. 

RESEARCH BASED:

My main fascination is concerned with Performer training, including Human Movement; its cause and effect, vocal techniques and trainings and sociological contexts. I have therefore undertaken extensive research into movement methodologies (especially focusing upon ideas of the 'ultracultural' and the work of Isadora Duncan and Butoh), Human anatomy, and the application of diverse practices (such as tantra) to performance technique . I have also pursued a fruitful research project into the work and ideas of the GDR playwright Heiner Muller, and hope to continue this work over the coming months. 

EXPERIENCE (Other)

Technical

•‘Don’t Feed the Lions’ (ZECORA URA THEATRE, London, 2003) Toilet Manager

•‘Bugsy Malone’ (Oakengates Theatre, Shropshire, 1998) DSM

 Film

•‘Pilot and His Wife’ (JUST A DROP PRODUCTIONS, France, 2003) Pilots Wife

 Radio

•'5 plays for Children' (For the BBC, with TTYT) Various

Cabaret 

•The Gas Heart’ (devised around text by Tristan Tzara, 2003) duo 

•Tapestry’ (devised around the song by Carole King, 2002) solo piece 

•Landscape with Argonauts’ (text by Heiner Muller, 2002) solo piece